The White House on Thursday walked back President Joe Biden’s apparent suggestion that Venezuela hold a new election after the comment prompted questions about the US position on a July vote that it has consistently said Nicolas Maduro’s regime rigged.
Biden was asked as he exited the White House to board his Marine One helicopter for an afternoon event in Maryland whether he supported new elections in Venezuela, and he responded “I do.”
“It is abundantly clear that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes,” White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett added in a message posted to social media. “We call for the will of the people to be respected and for discussions to begin on a transition back to democratic norms.”
Biden’s original comments echoed some leaders in the region, including Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who have suggested the possibility Venezuela could hold fresh elections. That stance was seen as more forgiving than other regional powers like Argentina that have recognized González as president-elect, as well as three weeks of US calls for countries to acknowledge his victory.
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