President Nicolas Maduro condemned the United States for recognizing the opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner of the recent elections, as Argentina, Peru and Uruguay joined Washington in their recognition.
"The United States should not stick its nose into our affairs, because in Venezuela the sovereign people decide," Maduro said Friday. "Is the USA perhaps the electoral office? The fascist demon is the electoral office?"
Venezuela's electoral authority declared Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, the winner of Sunday's election. However, it has not yet published the detailed results from individual constituencies.
The opposition accuses the government of fraud and claims victory for González. The U.S., the European Union, the Organization of American States and a number of Latin American countries are also questioning the official election results.
Maduro told supporters at the Miraflores presidential palace that González "is a murderer and an agent of the CIA."
Argentina's Foreign Minister Diana Mondino recognized opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as the president-elect of Venezuela on Friday.
Through her X account, Mondino supported Gonzalez Urrutia and denied the results presented by the Electoral Council of Venezuela, which gave Maduro the victory with more than 51% of the votes.
Argentina's announcement comes one day after the U.S. government recognized Gonzalez as Venezuela's legitimate president.
The government of Uruguay also recognized the opposition as the rightful winner of Venezuela's elections, rejecting the victory of incumbent Nicolas Maduro.
"Based on the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to Uruguay that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia obtained the majority of votes in Venezuela's presidential elections. We hope that the will of the Venezuelan people is respected," Foreign Minister Omar Paganini wrote on the social network X.
