With Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro ignoring calls to step down and tightening his control of presidential power, Maria Corina Machado, the country’s opposition leader, is calling for the United States to do “much more” in helping the country apply pressure to Maduro as the fallout continues from Venezuela’s controversial presidential election in July, Reuters reported.

“I certainly think the United States should do much more, and I have been very clear to them and to other countries,” said Machado during a press conference on Thursday. 

Opposition leaders have claimed to have evidence of Maduro’s defeat, but the president refuses to concede. Machado claimed there were additional steps the U.S. could be taking to hold Maduro accountable for failing to step down after allegedly losing July’s election.

“These messages should come clear to the regime,” Machado said.

Yet, despite outcry from the opposition party, Maduro has maintained he won the election, and the country’s National Electoral Council declared him the winner. However, the NEC is believed to be a dishonest political ally of Maduro, and its claims of the president’s victory are not truthful. 

Meanwhile, the opposition party claimed to have 70% of voters’ tally sheets from the recent election in its possession, showing that Maduro lost by a significant margin. They claim the rightful winner should have been Democratic Unitary Platform candidate Edmundo Gonzalez. They have organized mass protests throughout the country and have been doing so for over a month, since the country’s election on July 28.

In recognition of Maduro’s actions, the United States Department of State released a statement in August criticizing the Maduro regime. This statement was also signed by 21 other countries, including Argentina and Chile in South America, Canada in North America, Italy, and the European Union. 

“We take note of the preliminary report by the United Nations Expert Panel on the presidential election in Venezuela which indicates that the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela has yet to present the electoral records that substantiate the validity of the results announced on August 2,” the joint statement noted. “It should also be noted that a digital version of more than 80% of the electoral records has been published, which shows a different outcome than that reported by the CNE.”

“Consequently, we request the immediate publication of all original records and the impartial and independent verification of those results, preferably by an international entity, to ensure respect for the will of the Venezuelan people as expressed at the polls,” the joint statement said. “Any delay in this process calls into question the August 2, 2024, official proclamation.”

Additionally, in August, the European Union declared it would not recognize the “democratic legitimacy” of Maduro’s government in Venezuela. 

“We cannot accept the legitimacy of Maduro as elected president,” said Josep Borrell, vice president of the European Commission as well as the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy. “He will remain president, de facto. … But we deny democratic legitimacy based on a result that cannot be verified.”

These statements and declarations do little to help the Venezuelan people, however, Machado suggested that one way the United States could help would be to recognize Maduro’s opponent in the election, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the winner and engage in diplomatic relations with the country as if Gonzalez were president, BBC reported. She suggested that Europe and the United Kingdom do the same.

“Everyone knows that Edmundo Gonzalez is the president-elect,” Machado said in the press conference on Thursday. “I certainly think they should recognize Edmundo Gonzalez for what he is.”