1. United States
2. Letter

The Venezuelan election's integrity has been severely undermined by widespread fraud and intimidation by the Maduro regime. Independent observers, the opposition, and non-governmental organizations have presented overwhelming evidence that the official results were fabricated, and the true winner was opposition leader Edmundo González. Allowing this blatant assault on democracy to stand would deal a massive blow to the stability and freedom of the Western Hemisphere. Maduro's continued illegitimate rule poses grave risks - a likely new wave of refugees fleeing violence and repression, further empowering criminal armed groups and illegal economies like drug trafficking and illicit mining that already plague the region, potential military aggression towards neighbors like Guyana, and bolstering the spread of authoritarianism in South America. His alliance with malign state and non-state actors like Russia, Iran, and Colombian guerillas also undermines regional security. For the sake of human rights, democracy, and hemispheric peace and prosperity, the Venezuelan people's clear rejection of the Maduro regime and choice of Edmundo González as their legitimate president must be recognized and upheld. I urge you to take a stand against Maduro's anti-democratic actions and endorse González as the rightful leader to restore constitutional order in Venezuela. Failure to do so would reward election theft and enable the further deterioration of an already volatile situation with catastrophic consequences.