Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said a Venezuelan opposition leader, not socialist and Hugo Chavez successor Nicolás Maduro, won the country’s presidential election. Maduro has claimed victory and threatened the opposition since July 28, sparking widespread protests.

“Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election,” Blinken said. 

Maduro is widely believed to have lost before declaring victory, and numerous regional governments have cast doubt on the results. 

EXPERTS FEAR VENEZUELA’S MADURO COULD STEAL SUNDAY’S ELECTION AS OPPOSITION LEADS IN POLLS

Government officials from Brazil, Colombia and Mexico have been trying to convince Maduro’s administration that he must show the vote tally sheets from Sunday’s election and allow impartial verification, a Brazilian government official told the Associated Press on Thursday. Doing so would dispel any doubt about the results, the official said. Argentina’s newly elected libertarian President Javier Milei has called for the anti-Maduro protests to continue.

On Wednesday, Maduro asked Venezuela’s highest court to conduct an audit of the election, but that request drew almost immediate criticism from foreign observers who said the court is too close to the government to produce an independent review.

Polls taken over the course of the summer consistently showed opposition candidate Edmundo González winning by double-digit margins.

When the National Electoral Council, which is controlled by Maduro loyalists, announced around midnight that Maduro had received 51% of the vote compared to main opposition candidate González’s 44% support, council President Elvis Amoroso said the results were based on 80% of voting stations and represented an irreversible trend.

VENEZUELAN MIGRANTS’ BARBARIC CRIMES COME AS MADURO REFUSES TO TAKE BACK ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM US

“Meanwhile, the democratic opposition has published more than 80% of the tally sheets received directly from polling stations throughout Venezuela,” Blinken said. “Those tally sheets indicate that Edmundo González Urrutia received the most votes in this election by an insurmountable margin.”

“The CNE’s rapid declaration of Nicolás Maduro as the winner of the presidential election came with no supporting evidence,” the State Department said Thursday. “In the days since the election, we have consulted widely with partners and allies around the world, and while countries have taken different approaches in responding, none have concluded that Nicolás Maduro received the most votes this election.”

Since the election, protesters have taken to the streets to voice anger at the results, prompting a heavy-handed response by authorities in some instances. Blinken called for authorities to protect opposition leaders like González and María Corina Machado, the release of protesters who were arrested, and for the peaceful transition of power.

“Now is the time for the Venezuelan parties to begin discussions on a respectful, peaceful transition in accordance with Venezuelan electoral law and the wishes of the Venezuelan people,” Blinken said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.