Venezuela opposition leader recognized by US as election victor embarks on international tour

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González, who the United States recognized as the winner of last year's presidential election, kicked off an international tour on Saturday that will take him to Washington just days before President Nicolás Maduro is set to be sworn in for a third term in defiance of international pressure.

A crowd of a few hundred Venezuelan migrants broke into shouts of “Edmundo, Presidente” as González emerged from a meeting with Argentine President Javier Milei to wave to supporters from the balcony of the iconic Casa Rosada, or Pink House, in Buenos Aires.

“We are doing whatever the cause of freedom requires,” Milei, an effusive far-right supporter of the Venezuelan opposition, said as he welcomed González to the presidential palace with honors normally reserved for a head of state.

González, a retired diplomat, fled into exile in Spain in September after a judge issued an arrest warrant following the July 28 presidential election, in which Maduro was declared the winner by the National Electoral Council, which is stacked with governing party loyalists.

In recent weeks, he has been vowing to travel to Venezuela to be sworn in for the presidential term, which according to law must begin on Jan. 10. But he hasn't said how he plans to return or wrest power from Maduro, whose party controls all institutions and the military.

“By whatever means necessary, I’m going to be there” on Jan. 10, González said.

On Thursday, Maduro’s government raised the stakes even further, announcing a $100,000 reward for information on González’s whereabouts and plastering the wanted-like bulletin with the retired diplomat's photo on social media and the arrivals board at the country's main airport.

González at a press conference said that he would travel Saturday night to the U.S., where he hopes to speak with President Joe Biden, following a brief stop in Uruguay for a meeting with President Luis Lacalle Pou. He also plans to visit Panama and the Dominican Republic as part of the impromptu regional tour.

González, who twice served as Venezuela's ambassador to Argentina more than two decades ago, used his visit to highlight the plight of hundreds of Venezuelans who remain imprisoned as part of a post-election crackdown by Maduro.

During his meeting with Milei, the two discussed the well being of five Maduro opponents who have been sheltering in the Argentine ambassador’s residence in Caracas for nearly 10 months. Maduro's government broke relations with Argentina and expelled its diplomats after Milei and other regional leaders refused to recognize Maduro's reelection.

But it has denied the activists holed up in the diplomatic compound safe passage so they can take up exile in Argentina. As part of the diplomatic standoff, Maduro's government last month also arrested an Argentine national guardsman as he was entering the country, accusing him of terrorism. Argentina said the officer, Nahuel Gallo, traveled to Venezuela to visit his wife and her family, who are from Venezuela.

An estimated 220,000 Venezuelans are believed to reside in Argentina — part of an exodus of more than 7 million who have fled political turmoil, economic chaos and political repression by Maduro since 2014.

Janet Avila, a 51-year old school teacher who left Venezuela two years ago, was among those gathered outside the presidential palace to greet González.

“I'm very grateful to the Argentines, they've been beautiful to me, but I want to go home, to be with my family,” she said.

The Biden administration and most European governments have rejected the election's official results, pointing out that authorities didn't provide detailed results as they have in past elections. Meanwhile, copies of tally sheets collected by the opposition from 85% of the nation’s electronic voting machines show that González prevailed by a more than two-to-one margin.

González, 75, was a previously unknown career diplomat when he was thrust into rallying the anti-Maduro coalition as a last-minute stand-in for opposition stalwart María Corina Machado, whom the government banned from running for office.

Venezuela's opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, center, his wife Mercedes Lopez, right, and Argentine President Javier Milei stand at the balcony of the government house in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. Gonzalez, who claims he won the 2024 presidential election and is recognized by some countries as the legitimate president-elect, traveled from exile in Madrid to Argentina. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Venezuela's opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, center right, and Argentine President Javier Milei hold hands from the government house balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. Gonzalez, who claims he won the 2024 presidential election and is recognized by some countries as the legitimate president-elect, traveled from exile in Madrid to Argentina. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Venezuela's opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, center right, and Argentine President Javier Milei wave to supporters from the government house in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. Gonzalez, who claims he won the 2024 presidential election and is recognized by some countries as the legitimate president-elect, traveled from exile in Madrid to Argentina. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Venezuela's opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia and his wife Mercedes Lopez hold hands from the government house balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. Gonzalez, who claims he won the 2024 presidential election and is recognized by some countries as the legitimate president-elect, traveled from exile in Madrid to Argentina. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Venezuela's opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, center, his wife Mercedes Lopez, right, and Argentine President Javier Milei stand at the balcony of the government house in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. Gonzalez, who claims he won the 2024 presidential election and is recognized by some countries as the legitimate president-elect, traveled from exile in Madrid to Argentina. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

People watch Venezuela's opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia and Argentine President Javier Milei wave to supporters from the government house balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. Gonzalez, who claims he won the 2024 presidential election and is recognized by some countries as the legitimate president-elect, traveled from exile in Madrid to Argentina. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Leo Zambrano, supporter of Venezuela's opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, holds a Venezuela's flag at Plaza de Mayo, outside the government house where he meets with Argentine President Javier Milei in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. Gonzalez, who claims he won the 2024 presidential election and is recognized by some countries as the legitimate president-elect, traveled from exile in Madrid to Argentina. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Venezuela's opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, right, and Argentine President Javier Milei hold hands from the government house balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. Gonzalez, who claims he won the 2024 presidential election and is recognized by some countries as the legitimate president-elect, traveled from exile in Madrid to Argentina. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A wanted sign of Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez is displayed on the list of departure flights at the Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, near Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)

HONG KONG (AP) — Global stocks were mixed on Monday after Wall Street snapped out of a spell of holiday season blues.

Germany’s DAX added 0.4% lower, to 19,984.85, and the CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.6% to 7,324.36. Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 0.2% to 8,212.70.

The future for the S&P 500 was 0.3% higher and that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.1%.

Japan’s finance minister rang in the New Year as Tokyo’s market resumed trading after the long traditional holiday, as staff in suits and kimonos clapped for good fortune in 2025.

“The Japanese government will act to secure economic growth led by wage increases and investment," the finance minister, Katsunobu Kato said, vowing to “grasp signs of recovery” and to ensure that "every single citizen can feel the improvement in their salaries.”

The prevailing sentiment in much of Asia has been caution over potential changes by President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed to sharply raise tariffs on imports from China and other countries, potentially denting growth for a region heavily reliant on trade.

Nippon Steel was expected to sue after U.S. President Joe Biden rejected its nearly $15 billion bid to acquire Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel Corp, citing national security concerns. Nippon Steel’s shares fell 0.8% in Tokyo on Monday. U.S. Steel’s shares sank 6.5% on Friday.

“It is an unfortunate fact that Japanese industry has voiced concerns about future investment between the U.S. and Japan," Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Monday, without referring directly to the steelmakers. "We have to take this very seriously.”

“We strongly urge the U.S. government to take action to dispel such concerns. We need to have a clear statement as to why there are security concerns, otherwise we will not be able to talk about it in the future. No matter how much we are an ally, I believe that the points I have just made are extremely important for our future relations,” Ishiba said.

Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index lost 1.5% to 39,307.05, while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong declined 0.4% to 19,677.37.

The Shanghai Composite index slipped 0.1% to 3,206.92.

Markets shrugged off a report that China’s services economy grew at its fastest pace in seven months in December, while export businesses declined, according to a private sector survey. The index rose to 52.2 in December, surpassing the 50 level that separates expansion from contraction.

Elsewhere in Asia, the mood was lighter. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.1% to 8,257.40 and Taiwan's Taiex jumped 2.8%.

In South Korea, the Kospi jumped 1.9% to 2,488.64, driven by a 9.8% increase in computer chip maker SK Hynix Inc. and a 2.8% jump in shares in Samsung Electronics, the country's biggest company.

South Korea’s anti-corruption agency asked the police to take over efforts to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol after its investigators failed to take him into custody following a standoff with the presidential security service last week.

On Friday, the S&P 500 rallied 1.3% to 5,942.47, reaching its first gain since Christmas and its best day in nearly two months. Strength for Big Tech stocks helped it break a five-day losing streak, its longest since April, and trim its loss for the week to 0.5%.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.8% to 42,732.13, and the Nasdaq composite leaped 1.8% to 19,621.68.

U.S. stock indexes have vaulted to records after the U.S. economy kept growing despite high interest rates that have helped push inflation nearly all the way down to the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.

But even though the economy and job market still look solid, the path ahead is not assured. Part of the reason the S&P 500 set more than 50 all-time highs last year was because of the expectation that the Fed would keep cutting interest rates through 2025, after it began easing them in September.

In other dealings, U.S. benchmark crude oil lost 29 cents to $73.67 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, dropped 35 cents to $76.16 per barrel.

The U.S. dollar rose to 157.70 Japanese yen from 157.22 yen. The euro cost $1.0338, up from $1.0306.

Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed.

Staff of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and guests make a ceremonial hand-clapping during a ceremony marking the start of this year's trading Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

A staff of the Tokyo Stock Exchange prepares to start a ceremony marking the start of this year's trading Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Hiromi Yamaji, left, CEO of Japan Exchange Group (JPX) delivers a speech during a ceremony marking the start of this year's trading Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

A guest prepares to pose with a wooden hummer to toll the bell prior to a ceremony marking the start of this year's trading Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, at the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Staff of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and guests make a ceremonial hand-clapping during a ceremony marking the start of this year's trading Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

A staff of the Tokyo Stock Exchange prepares to start a ceremony marking the start of this year's trading Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Stock price board is seen after a ceremony marking the start of this year's trading Tokyo Stock Exchange Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Hiromi Yamaji, left, CEO of Japan Exchange Group (JPX) delivers a speech during a ceremony marking the start of this year's trading Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Kimono-clad employees of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and guests leave the venue after a ceremony marking the start of this year's trading Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Japan's Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato tolls a bell during a ceremony marking the start of this year's trading Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)