Venezuela continues to be immersed in chaos as the results of the elections, in which the government claimed the victory without showing detailed results, continue to be disputed. As the opposition claims to have the documents needed to prove a fraud, key power brokers such as Brazil, Mexico and Colombia are holding out on recognizing any outcome until the government properly justifies its claim.
As for the U.S., Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Biden administration has "serious concerns that the results announced do not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people," and that "the international community is watching very closely and will respond accordingly."
The tone was similar across the American political spectrum, with both Democrats and Republicans condemning the events so far. However, a voice that has so far remained silent is former President Donald Trump's. The GOP nominee hasn't made public comments about the situation despite leading an intensive pressure effort against the Maduro government while in office.
In fact, in March 2020 the Trump administration named Maduro as a top drug-trafficker and offered $15 million for information that could lead to his capture. Then-Attorney General William Barr also announced rewards for top leaders Diosdado Cabello, Tareck el Aissami, Clíver Alcalá and Hugo Carvajal.
"While they held top posts in the Maduro regime, these individuals violated public trust by facilitating the shipping of narcotics from Venezuela, including through planes departing from a Venezuelan air base, as well as the control of drug routes from Venezuelan ports," said the State Department back then.
Despite this, Trump has not made public comments since the most recent events began to unfold. The stance contrasts with that of Republicans like Senator Marco Rubio and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The former has been extremely active on social media, commenting on the issue and even changing his profile picture to the one offering a reward for Maduro.
#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/a4EpLscldE
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) July 30, 2024
DeSantis, on his end, described the elections as a "total sham" and criticized the Biden administration's policy toward the country. "We saw an 'election' take place in Venezuela, and it was this idea that [the] Biden-Harris [administration] had, that you come in and you relax pressure and sanctions on the Maduro regime that somehow that regime would respond by supporting a free and fair election," DeSantis said. "Well, that crashed and burned," he added, advocating for a tougher approach.
Florida Democrats have also criticized the events, with the party releasing a statement that "unequivocally condemns Nicolas Maduro's attempt to steal the Venezuelan presidential election." "Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of the democratic process, and the will of the Venezuelan people - clearly expressed in yesterday's exit polls - must prevail."
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