“Their successful outcome is a triumph for the Venezuelan people,” Adely added, “especially considering the level of U.S. interference and attempted sabotage of the democratic process, particularly through sanctions and coercive economic measures aimed at producing ‘regime change’ in Venezuela.”

Speaking after CNE’s announcement, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States has “serious concerns” that the tallied result “does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people” — a response that drew swift backlash, given longstanding efforts by the United States to overthrow the Latin American nation’s elected government and crush its economy with sanctions.

As The Washington Post’s Jeff Stein and Federica Cocco reported last week, “Sanctions on Venezuela… contributed to an economic contraction roughly three times as large as that caused by the Great Depression in the United States.”