Blinken Urges Maduro to Engage in Dialogue with Venezuela’s Opposition

By Daphne Psaledakis and Simon Lewis

NEW YORK – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday to initiate dialogue with the opposition following a disputed election in Venezuela, stating that the U.S. is prepared to support such efforts.

Blinken made these remarks during a meeting of 31 nations focusing on Venezuela, which was co-chaired by the U.S. and Argentina at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. However, several key regional nations did not participate or endorse a joint statement advocating for dialogue.

"We come here united in the commitment to defend the human rights of the Venezuelan people and to foster an inclusive Venezuelan-led effort to restore the nation’s democratic future," Blinken emphasized. He insisted that Maduro must engage in direct dialogue with the united democratic opposition to facilitate a peaceful return to democracy, with the U.S. and its partners fully prepared to support this process.

Venezuelan electoral officials and the country’s top court announced that Maduro won the July 28 election with 52% of the vote. However, the opposition claims that the vote counts indicate a landslide win for their candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, who has sought asylum in Spain. Several Western governments, including the U.S., have accused the election of being marred by fraud.

Later on Thursday, the Venezuelan government dismissed the statement from the meeting participants as "ridiculous," alleging that the U.S. and its "satellite governments" were attacking the Venezuelan populace. A report from the U.N. last week detailed increasing government repression since the election, including the detention of minors, a claim that the government refutes.

Following the election, Washington has sought diplomatic support from Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico—nations whose leaders have usually had a friendlier approach toward Maduro—but none were represented at Thursday’s meeting. Brazil was invited but opted not to attend, reportedly wishing to maintain diplomatic relations with Maduro’s administration amid ongoing tensions with Argentina.

The diplomatic feud between Argentina and Venezuela escalated after the seizure of a Venezuelan airplane in Buenos Aires in June 2022, leading to an attempt by both nations this week to arrest each other’s leaders.

Argentina’s Foreign Minister Diana Mondino remarked on the broader implications of the Venezuelan election, stating, "There are authoritarian winds blowing in our continent, and let’s hope it does not become a hurricane."