The list of countries and public figures condemning the Venezuelan government's electoral claim continues to grow, as the country is currently engulfed in a political crisis that has protesters taking to the streets and at least four people reported dead as a result of police repression.
Amid the chaos, the position of the United States government has been firm. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that 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."
Condemnation has been louder in Florida, the state which holds the largest share of Venezuelan immigrants in the country with 47% of the total, according to the Pew Research Center.
It has also been bipartisan, a somewhat rare feat in a state deeply divided when it comes to politics. From Republican governor Ron DeSantis to the Democratic mayor of Miami Dade, from GOP congressman Matt Gaetz to the Florida Democratic party itself, condemnation has been swift and stern across the board. Here's a look at some of the most vocal figures to express their disconformity with the Venezuelan election results from Sunday:
Senator Marco Rubio
Few have been as vocal about Venezuela as Senator Rubio. Just minutes after the result were announced on Sunday by the electoral council, Rubio said on X that the Maduro regime had just pulled "the most predictable and ridiculous sham election in modern history."
On Monday he also spearheaded a bipartisan statement along with U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Michael Bennet (D-CO), John Kennedy (R-LA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Rick Scott (R-FL), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Tim Scott (R-SC) along with U.S. Representatives Carlos Giménez (R-FL-28), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03), Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR-AL), María Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03), Chris Smith (R-NJ-04), and Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL-26).
The statement reads:
"To no one's surprise, dictator Nicolás Maduro has once again stolen a presidential election. However, what the narco-regime will never steal is the Venezuelan people's desire to return to democracy and live in freedom after decades of tyranny. We must prioritize uniting the free world in rejecting these sham election results and securing the release of the more than 300 Venezuelans that remain arbitrarily detained in torture centers as political prisoners."
The statement ends in a warning for "countries and international organizations backing this fraud", concluding that they and "members of the narco-regime and its 'National Electoral Council' must be held accountable.
Congressman Matt Gaetz
U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz (FL-01) blasted Maduro for "declaring himself the winner", calling him "an illegitimate dictator" instead. Gaetz then went on to express his solidarity with the Venezuelan people and their diaspora, before taking a jab at socialism as a political ideology:
"It's a sad reality that while a nation can vote its way into socialism, it almost always has to fight its way out."
Governor RonDesantis
In a news conference on Monday, DeSantis criticized the "flawed" elections and also advocated for increased international pressure against the Venezuelan government, while also taking a jab at the Biden administration in the process.
"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," said DeSantis, adding his own ideas on how the problem should've been dealt with:
"The way you deal with somebody like Maduro is you tighten the pressure, you make sure to choke off their resources, but what happened was a total Sham. There's a lot of people that went out that wanted their voice heard, that want to see a new direction for Venezuela, and that didn't happen because you have a corrupt regime, and this is a corrupt regime that's been empowered by Biden and Harris"
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava
On the other side of the spectrum, Democratic mayor Levine Cava made her plea to Biden and other world leaders to "act swiftly to impose the most aggressive sanctions possible" now that Maduro "is attempting to steal the election despite exit polls showing a decisive win for the opposition."
She also highlighted the importance of sending "a clear and unwavering message" so that the government accept legitimate results or face the consequences.
A few weeks ago, on Venezuela's independence day, mayor Levine Cava had also expressed her support for the immigrant community by celebrating their contributions to the community:
Happy Venezuelan Independence Day! ¡Feliz día de la Independencia de Venezuela! Today, we honor the rich culture and contributions of this community in Miami-Dade. We are proud to be home to the largest Venezuelan population outside of Venezuela.
— Daniella Levine Cava (@MayorDaniella) July 5, 2024
Florida Democratic Party
In a joint statement, the Florida Democratic Party and its Chair Nikki Fried said that they "unequivocally condemn Maduro's attempt to steal the Venezuelan presidential election" urging action from Biden and other countries:
"We call on President Biden and world leaders to demand transparency and accountability for Maduro and his administration — starting with an internationally supervised recount."
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