How the U.S. Has Played a Role in Venezuela’s Presidential Election

Venezuelans will head to the polls on July 28 to choose a new president, an election that could determine if democracy will be restored to the South American nation. It is also a vote that the United States played a role in helping ensure would take place.

Voters will pick between a little-known diplomat named, Edmundo González, and President Nicolás Maduro, the country’s autocratic leader who has been in office since 2013.

Many analysts are skeptical that Mr. Maduro would accept an electoral loss and, if that happened, it is unclear how the Biden administration would respond to a rejection of the results.

Here’s what to know about an election important to both countries.

What’s going on between the U.S. and Venezuela?

The last three American presidents have been united on one policy: hitting the Venezuelan government with tough sanctions in response to corruption, anti-democratic moves and human rights abuses.

The United States and Venezuela have not had diplomatic relations since 2019.

But while President Donald J. Trump took a hard-line approach, the Biden administration tried a different tactic, meeting privately last year with Venezuelan government officials in Qatar, where they discussed lifting sanctions that had hobbled Venezuela’s vital oil industry.

Some experts said the Biden administration’s new strategy, which many had criticized as being too lenient, helped lay a foundation for the election and energized the opposition.