Weeks of deadly mass protests ensued in Venezuela after Maduro Declared himself the winner of the election despite polling numbers being unverified. In response, Maduro's administration began arresting and investigating opposition political figures as well as protesters.
The opposition party had published voting tallies online that seemingly showed verification that Urrutia had a strong majority of 67 percent. However, the electoral authority has repeatedly claimed Maduro won just over half of the votes but has not published tallies as proof.
At the beginning of August, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated, "Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election." He added: "Meanwhile, the democratic opposition has published more than 80% of the tally sheets received directly from polling stations throughout Venezuela. Those tally sheets indicate that Edmundo González Urrutia received the most votes in this election by an insurmountable margin."
The US government even reportedly offered amnesty to Maduro if he relinquished power and admitted defeat in the election.
Venezuela's Supreme Court president Caryslia Rodriguez said that the court "has reviewed material from the electoral authority and agrees that Maduro won the election," as Reuters reported, "adding the decision cannot be appealed."
