US recognizes Venezuela's opposition candidate Edmundo González as 'president-elect' months after Maduro claims victory

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday called Venezuela's Edmundo Gonzalez the country's "president-elect" for the first time, signaling that Washington wants to step up pressure on President Nicolas Maduro.

Antony Blinken took a major step in changing geopolitical relations between the United States and Venezuela with this acknowledgment.