Caracas, January 1 (RHC)-- Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil has rejected the statements of the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who recently met with the Venezuelan opposition, denying the legitimacy of the elections in the Latin American country.

In this regard, Venezuela's top diplomat stated that his American counterpart is a promoter and defender of fascism in Venezuela.  "His words are not surprising, coming from an official of a departing and deeply failed government that will go down in history as one of the most inept and harmful in the foreign policy of the United States," he added.

Emphasizing that Blinken's desperation "leads him to support the worst opposition Venezuela has seen in the last 25 years," Gil added that this opposition is "disconnected, terrorist, without leadership and without popular support, complicit in every defeat suffered by his country."

"For four years, they have failed time and again in their plans against Venezuela, and this time will be no different."  "Our people and government remain standing, with dignity, guaranteeing prosperity and overcoming the adversities that you yourselves have tried to impose, advancing in the construction of a sovereign and independent country," emphasized the Venezuelan minister.

On the other hand, he insisted that "Bolivarian Venezuela does not accept lessons or pressure from anyone, much less from those who have achieved nothing but failure."

The State Department had reported that "Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today (Monday) with the elected president Edmundo González Urrutia and María Corina Machado, leaders of the Venezuelan democratic opposition."

"Secretary Blinken reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to support the will of the Venezuelan people expressed at the polls, the peaceful restoration of democracy in Venezuela, and the release of all unjustly detained political prisoners," added the U.S. statement.