Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, said he invited Venezuela’s "rightful president," Edmundo González as his special guest to President Donald Trump’s Inauguration on Monday.
"I’m incredibly proud to attend President Donald Trump’s inauguration today, and to be joined by Venezuela’s President-elect Edmundo González," said Scott in a statement. "President-elect González was elected by the people of Venezuela, under the leadership of María Corina Machado, and is a beacon of hope for a new day of freedom for those oppressed by murderous dictator Nicolás Maduro."
Venezuela’s National Electoral Council, stacked with government loyalists, had declared Maduro the winner of the July 28 election. But unlike in previous contests, electoral authorities did not provide detailed vote counts to back the announced result.
The opposition, however, collected tally sheets from 85% of electronic voting machines and posted them online — showing its candidate, González, had won by a more than a two-to-one margin. U.N. experts and the U.S.-based Carter Center, both invited by Maduro’s government to observe the election, said the tally sheets published by the opposition are legitimate.
Said Scott: "As Maduro deprives the Venezuelan people of their rightful leader, openly threatens the United States and holds Americans hostage, we must make clear the United States will hold Maduro accountable and will not take these threats lightly."
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
