WASHINGTON - 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 incumbent President Nicolas Maduro.

The U.S. has accused Maduro of fraud in the July 28 presidential vote, which election officials and Venezuela's top court said Maduro won. The opposition said tallies collected by its observers show a clear victory for Gonzalez.

"The Venezuelan people spoke resoundingly on July 28 and made @EdmundoGU the president-elect," Blinken, who is in Rio de Janeiro for G20 meetings, wrote on X, using the handle for Gonzalez. "Democracy demands respect for the will of the voters."

The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden had not until now referred to Gonzalez as president-elect. The administration of Donald Trump in 2019 recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's interim president after a 2018 election that Washington similarly called a sham.

Gonzalez, 75, left Venezuela for Spain after the government issued a warrant for his arrest, but has said he will return on Jan. 10 to take office.

"We are profoundly grateful for the recognition of the sovereign will of all Venezuelans," Gonzalez said on X in response to Blinken's post. "This gesture honors the desire for change from our people and the civic act we all participated in on July 28."

A State Department spokesperson said it was clear to the U.S., other democratic nations and independent observers that Gonzalez, who ran after popular opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was banned from holding office, won the most votes in the election.

"That makes him the president-elect," the spokesperson said.

  - Reuters