US denies offering Venezuela's Maduro amnesty to cede power

WASHINGTON

The White House denied Monday reports that it extended an offer of amnesty to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a bid to get him to step down from power amid ongoing political tumult.

"Since the July 28 elections, we have not made any specific offers of amnesty to Maduro or others," spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. "What I can speak to is, since the election, we have just not made that type of offer."

The denial comes after the Wall Street Journal newspaper reported Sunday that the Biden administration is in secret talks to have Maduro relinquish power in what it called a "long-shot bid" that would include shielding the Venezuelan president and his senior officials from prosecution, and guarantees that Washington would not seek their extradition.

Jean-Pierre did not say whether any such offers were made prior to the July 28 polls.

The Justice Department announced in March 2020 indictments against Maduro and 14 of his senior officials on multiple charges, including allegations that the president collaborated with FARC rebels to "flood" the US with cocaine.

Venezuela's National Electoral Council announced July 29 that President Nicolas Maduro had secured a third term in office with 51.2% of the vote -- a result rejected by the opposition, which maintains the election results are fraudulent.

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado urged citizens to participate in mass protests on Aug. 17 to challenge the results.

Jean-Pierre said that over 80% of voting tally sheets published by civil society groups corroborate the claims of fraud "and so we think Maduro must recognize it."

"We certainly are going to continue to be very clear here, that Maduro must recognize it. Countries are going to do what they feel is the right way to move forward. So we'll let them speak to that. But we've been very clear Maduro must recognize it," she added.