Published on 5/31/2026
Former Venezuelan presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia announced his support for holding new presidential elections, stressing from his exile in Spain that this path represents an essential step towards establishing what he described as “true democracy” in the country that is experiencing an ongoing political crisis.
Gonzalez Urrutia (76 years old) is considered one of the most prominent opposition figures, as the opposition forces see him as the winner in the 2024 elections, despite the authorities announcing the victory of former President Nicolas Maduro, who Washington announced would arrest him in a military operation in Caracas in early 2025.
Gonzalez Urrutia renewed his support for the positions of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who is leading efforts to push for the organization of new presidential elections.
He said in a message on social media that the opposition forces were united around one goal, which is “the freedom of Venezuela,” stressing the commitment to a common road map to achieve a political transition.
Last Thursday, Machado announced her readiness to enter into negotiations with the aim of reaching a democratic transition leading to the organization of “free and transparent” elections. And that At a time when she was running US Military training in the sky of the capital, Caracas.
Interim President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, also previously called for a dialogue with the opposition to put an end to the political crisis in the country after the American operation that led to the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro.
Gonzalez Urrutia had entered the election race at the last minute as a replacement for Machado after she was excluded from running, before he sought refuge in exile in Spain in September 2024 following the issuance of an arrest warrant against him.
