Edmundo Gonzalez Calls for Presidential Elections in Venezuela

Former Opposition Candidate Calls for Presidential Elections

Edmundo González, former opposition candidate in Venezuela’s 2024 elections, has called for presidential elections as interim President Delcy Rodríguez approaches her fifth month in office.

The July 2024 election results, which showed González winning over incumbent Nicolás Maduro, were deemed credible by international observers despite allegations of fraud from the opposition. Several countries recognized González as the legitimate winner of the election.

In a social media post, González emphasized the need to “build conditions for holding presidential elections that serve as citizen instruments for change” and contribute to re-establishing the country’s institutions and laying the groundwork for a stable government.

The five-month mark since Rodríguez assumed power on January 5th, following Maduro’s arrest in the U.S., has prompted González’s call for elections. The U.S. recognized Rodríguez as Venezuela’s sole head of state, allowing her to re-establish ties with Western banks and work more freely with U.S. investors.

González stressed that an electoral process must include independent referees, national and international observation, political pluralism, the release of political prisoners, and an end to persecution. He asserted his role as the “guardian” of his constituents’ mandate for freedom in the 2024 election, having been in exile in Spain since September due to charges he denies.

Machado recently met with opposition leaders in Panama, advocating for a democratic transition in Venezuela, and stated her intention to return before year’s end to run for president.