Guterres and Blinken condemn political repression in Venezuela

This Wednesday, August 7, the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, and the Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken, metThey spoke by telephone to discuss the situation in Venezuela.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller issued a statement saying that “Secretary of State Blinken and Secretary-General Guterres expressed their willingness to support an inclusive process led by Venezuelan actors to restore democratic norms, in coordination with our international partners.”

According to the spokesman, Blinken stressed that “Edmundo González Urrutia won the majority of votes on July 28, adding that the minutes contained overwhelming evidence that González defeated Maduro.”

Also, during the conversation “The Secretary and the Secretary-General expressed concern about the safety and well-being of opposition leaders following the election, and condemned the violence and political repression, indiscriminate arrests, and violations of due process guarantees.”

Finally, the Secretary of State thanked Guterres “for their efforts to urge the Venezuelan parties to engage in talks on a peaceful transition to democratic norms.”