Vice President Harris said in an interview set to air in full Wednesday that the U.S. would not use military force if Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro does not leave office.
“Well, we’re not going to use U.S. military there. But let me be very clear also. … We must stand firm as the United States of America and respect the will of the people in that election, and I’ve been very clear about that, as it relates to the election that occurred in Venezuela,” Harris said in an interview with Noticias Telemundo when asked about specific strategies in the event Maduro doesn’t office.
“The will of the people must be respected, and this is why we’ve also issued sanctions,” Harris added.
While the U.S. and other nations recognize opposition candidate Edmundo González as the winner of July’s Venezuelan presidential election, Maduro has sought to stay in power for a third term.
“We have serious concerns that the result announced does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Tokyo shortly after the election. “It’s critical that every vote be counted fairly and transparently, that election officials immediately share information with the opposition and independent observers without delay, and that the electoral authorities publish the detailed tabulation of votes.”
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on 140 people in an effort to exert pressure on the election results.