According to a report published by Voice of America Journal, after the White House meeting, Gonzalez said he had “a long, fruitful and cordial conversation” with Biden. “We, of course, thanked the United States government for the support it has given us in this fight for democratic recovery in Venezuela.”

Gonzalez also said he expects a close relationship with the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.

The meeting between Gonzalez and Biden happened just days before Maduro is set to be sworn into office Friday for a third term.

Maduro has continued to claim that he was the victor in Venezuela’s July election, despite the fact that electoral authorities did not provide detailed vote counts following the election.

The opposition maintains its collection of tally sheets from more than 80% of Venezuela’s electronic voting machines proving that Gonzalez was the clear winner of the July election.

The U.S., most European countries and several Latin American countries have rejected Maduro’s claims of victory, which have been recognized by Venezuela’s top court and electoral authority.

The controversial election sparked mass protests which left nearly 30 people dead and over 2,400 arrested.

Gonzalez, a 75-year-old former diplomat, has been living in exile in Spain since the election but has promised to return to Venezuela to be sworn into office Friday.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said Monday that Gonzalez would be “arrested and tried if he sets foot in Venezuela."

Venezuela is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to Gonzalez’s capture.

In September 2024, Costa Rica condemned Venezuela's arrest warrant for opposition leader González pointing out that the action was only an attempt to silence Mr. González, disrespect the will of the Venezuelan people and represented political persecution.

In August 2024, President Rodrigo Chaves met virtually with Venezuela's opposition leaders, Edmundo González-Urrutia and María Corina Machado-Parisca.  Opposition leaders urged Costa Rica and the rest of the international community to speak up so that the Maduro regime recognizes the need for a government transition.

Costa Rica called for a transparent recount of ballots in Venezuela's presidential election as the best approach to ensure that the results represent the will of the Venezuelan people.

Costa Rica also offered Venezuelan opposition leaders political asylum or refugee status.

Voice of America Journal, VOA, is a U.S. government news agency funded by the U.S. Congress.

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