Kamala Harris speaks out on the Venezuelan elections: "The will of the Venezuelan people must be respected"

Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democratic presidential hopeful, sent a message to Venezuela, where presidential elections are being held marked by the repression of the dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro and the hope of millions of Venezuelans who went massively to the polls despite the outrages.

"The United States supports the people of Venezuela who expressed their voice in today's historic presidential election," Harris said on X (formerly Twitter). "The will of the Venezuelan people must be respected. Despite the many challenges, we will continue to work for a more democratic, prosperous and secure future for the people of Venezuela."

Harris' message comes as this Sunday, July 28, approximately twelve million Venezuelans went to the polls to choose between opposition candidate Edmundo González -supported by opposition leader María Corina Machado-, dictator Nicolás Maduro and eight other candidates with little chance of influencing the results according to independent polls.

According to unofficial estimates, such as that of the U.S. firm Edison Research, quoted by The Wall Street Journal, they point to a widely favorable difference for candidate Gonzalez, who would have beaten Maduro with 64 % against 31 %. However, the electoral authorities, controlled by Chavismo, have not yet released the results.

However, experts in Venezuelan politics warn of the possibility that the electoral authorities, co-opted by the Maduro regime, will give a different result from those anticipated by independent estimates.

María Corina Machado, the country's most popular leader and face of the opposition, sent a message to Venezuelans and to the table witnesses now in charge of protecting the vote.

"It is 6:00 p.m., the time has come. If there are no people in line, the tables must be closed. It is time for you to see how your vote is counted, paper by paper. To all the witnesses: YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO TAKE THE REPORT. The acta is the proof, make sure you have it and follow the protocol of the Comando".

In a press conference together with candidate Gonzalez, Machado asked Venezuelans to "remain vigilant at the voting tables to protect the votes".

"All Venezuelans have the right to participate in the scrutiny. It is public," said Machado, who then sent a message to the witnesses. "No one leaves the center without their tally sheets. They have the right to have their tally sheets."

For weeks now, the opposition has focused on registering and sending witnesses to the vast majority of the country's polling centers to prevent massive fraud by the Maduro regime.

Even so, despite the outrages throughout the campaign, which included the illegal disqualification of Machado, who was prohibited from registering on the ballot, Venezuelans heeded the call to vote and accompanied the process in all parts of the world.

According to the participation figures published by the opposition, by 4:00 PM local time, two hours before the closing of the voting centers, 54.8 % of the electoral roll exercised their right to vote, the equivalent of 11.7 million people.

What is important about this figure is that, for practical purposes, only between 14 and 16 million Venezuelans could vote because the electoral authorities prevented the participation of the Venezuelan diaspora, which meant that some six million Venezuelans outside Venezuela were left without the possibility of voting.

In other words, the data show that today a massive percentage of Venezuelans eligible to vote went to the polls, a fact widely celebrated by the opposition to Maduro, which was betting on a massive and unprecedented participation.

Other important US messages to Venezuela

Brian A. Nichols, the U.S. Under Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere, made a statement on the Venezuelan elections at 23:00 ET, a time when there are still no official results.

“Venezuelan voters showed up in huge numbers to express their will at the ballot box. It now falls on electoral authorities to ensure transparency & access for all political parties & civil society in the tabulation of votes & prompt publication of results. Credibility of the electoral process depends on it.”

Earlier in the morning, Cuban-American Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), considered a great ally of Venezuela, sent a message to Venezuela and leader Machado when Venezuelans were already starting to go to the polling stations despite the fact that they opened at 6:00 AM.

"If the election in Venezuela today is legitimate Maduro will lose by 40 points. But the election commission that counts the votes is controlled by the Maduro regime and they will do everything they can to try and steal it," said Rubio, critical of authoritarian regimes in the region.

In turn, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) warned the Maduro regime, “I tweeted this almost exactly a year ago. Every word remains true. María Corina Machado is helping to lead Venezuelans to freedom. The Maduro regime and every single one of their thugs should know the world, and particularly the United States, is watching tonight and will hold them accountable for their actions.”

Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) joined the Venezuelan diaspora in Miami, which rallied to send a message to their country in the midst of the electoral process.

"Since Congress I have been a voice for the freedom of Venezuela. Today I am proud to be with the Venezuelan exile in Miami, the time for freedom has come!" said Salazar.

In a subsequent publication, Salazar said the Maduro regime was perpetrating electoral fraud.

“The silence of Chavismo speaks for itself. Maduro lost the democratic game and must go. Postponing the results will only increase tension in the streets and that is what the regime wants: violence and chaos. The days of the Miraflores Mafia are over!”.