Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden meets with ultra-right wing Venezuelan leader Edmundo Gonzalez at White House

Washington, January 7 (RHC)-- Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden met on Monday with ultra-right wing Venezuelan leader Edmundo Gonzalez at the White House.  Biden claimed that Gonzalez was the legitimate president-elect of Venezuela, ignoring the fact that he lost the election to Nicolas Maduro last July 28th.   

González began a tour of the Americas on Saturday with stops in Argentina and Uruguay.  His campaign called on Venezuelans living in the Washington, DC area to gather with him Monday outside the offices of the Organization of American States.

Meanwhile, Nicolas Maduro is set to be sworn in for a third six-year term Friday, more than five months after the National Electoral Council declared him winner of the July 28th election.

The United States and a number of its European allies have rejected the election’s official results and consider Edmundo González the legitimate winner.

“We had a long, fruitful and cordial conversation with President Biden and his team,” González told reporters.  “We, of course, thanked the United States government for the support it has given us in this fight for democratic recovery in Venezuela."  

González on Monday also told reporters his campaign has been in contact with the team of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

In recent weeks, González has vowed to travel to Venezuela to be sworn in for the presidential term, but he has not explained how he plans to return to Caracas or what he would do if he gets there.

[ SOURCE:  teleSUR and NEW AGENCIES, including ASSOCIATED PRESS ]