The State Department has denied a report by the Wall Street Journal claiming that the Biden administration offered Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro amnesty in exchange for stepping down. There were alleged secret meetings between the U.S. and Venezuela in Doha, Qatar where discussions took place, including an alleged amnesty proposal. Reports indicated that Maduro’s chief adviser, Jorge Rodríguez, and a White House official, Juan González, met to discuss various issues in addition to the amnesty proposal, but the U.S. has never confirmed this information.
The report also suggested that top officers of Maduro facing judicial indictments could potentially see amnesty agreements. However, the State Department stated that they had not made any specific offers of amnesty to Maduro or anyone else since the July 28 election. The Biden administration, along with its partners, is considering various options to pressure Maduro to recognize the election results, but ultimately the responsibility lies with Maduro and Venezuela’s electoral authorities to address the situation.
Despite international pressure for Maduro to step down amid evidence suggesting he lost to opposition leader Edmundo González, Maduro has refused to relinquish power. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has supported calls for Maduro to step aside and stated that based on overwhelming evidence, it is clear that Edmundo González won the most votes in the July 28 presidential election. The UN General Assembly has offered to mediate the election results as a third party to resolve the growing unrest in Venezuela.
Maduro’s regime has responded to pressure by arresting protesters and maintaining military loyalty. The regime has also elected a pro-Maduro Supreme Court to resolve any election disputes. Despite these measures, Maduro’s position on leaving office remains unchanged. The international community continues to push for a resolution to the situation in Venezuela, with the hope of a peaceful transition of power and recognition of the election results. However, Maduro’s refusal to step down and his regime’s actions suggest that the situation in Venezuela remains tense and unresolved.
