Biden receives Venezuelan President-elect Edmundo González at the White House

Venezuela's president-elect, Edmundo González Urrutia, met with the United States president, Joe Biden, at the White House this Monday as part of an international tour to obtain support against Nicolás Maduro's regime. This visit occurs a few days before the presidential inauguration, in which Maduro intends to be sworn in illegitimately for a third consecutive term.

According to a release issued by the White House, during the meeting, both leaders discussed joint efforts to restore democracy in Venezuela.  They stressed the importance of respecting the popular will expressed in the July 2024 presidential elections. In addition, they stressed the need to ensure a peaceful transfer of power.

"Both leaders agreed there is nothing more essential to the success of democracy than respecting the will of the people, as expressed through a transparent and accountable electoral process, and that Gonzalez Urrutia’s campaign victory should be honored through a peaceful transfer back to democratic rule," the statement detailed.

During the meeting, President Biden also expressed concern about the protests planned for January 9 in Venezuela and stressed the importance of allowing Venezuelans to express themselves politically without fear of reprisals.

Biden reinforces his support for Gonzalez

Following the meeting, Biden used his social media to share his support for Venezuela's president-elect: "Today I hosted Venezuela's President-elect Edmundo Gonzalez, a man whose campaign inspired millions and one who should be taking the oath of office in four days. The people of Venezuela deserve a peaceful transfer of power to the true winner of their presidential election," the U.S. president stated.

Gonzalez stresses the importance of the meeting

Gonzalez indicated that the meeting, which lasted about 45 minutes, was very productive. He thanked Biden for his "commitment to a peaceful and orderly transition in Venezuela" and reaffirmed his goal of ensuring a democratic transition.

In addition, the opposition leader pointed out that his team is in communication with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's team, who will take office on January 20. In this regard, Gonzalez also met with high-level officials of the U.S. government, including national security advisor appointed by Trump, Mike Waltz.

International tour and return to Venezuela

Exiled in Spain since September 2024, González Urrutia has continued his international tour to garner support against the Maduro regime. He has already visited Argentina and Uruguay and has meetings scheduled on January 8 with the president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, and on January 9 with the president of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader. Despite increasing repression by the Maduro government, Gonzalez has reaffirmed his commitment to return to Venezuela to assume the presidency, as established by the country's Constitution, once a peaceful transfer of power is guaranteed.