Edmundo González

Edmundo González is the president-elect of Venezuela. 

González, who ran as the opposition’s Unitary Platform candidate, is widely-recognized as the rightful winner of the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election, defeating Venezuela’s dictator Nicolás Maduro. Venezuela faced a political crisis when Maduro refused to acknowledge the actual vote count and declared victory.  

Following the disputed election, González became the target of political persecution, with the Maduro regime validating the fraudulent results and issuing an arrest warrant against him. González sought refuge in the Spanish embassy in Caracas before being granted asylum in Spain, where he currently resides in exile. 

Prior to his presidential candidacy, González had a distinguished diplomatic career, serving as Venezuela’s ambassador to Algeria and Argentina. After leaving foreign service, he became the international representative for the Democratic Unity Roundtable (UMD), a unified political coalition to promote democratic reforms and oppose Hugo Chávez. A strong advocate for democracy and human rights, he has remained a vocal opponent of the Maduro regime, emphasizing the need for unity, economic recovery, and the restoration of democratic institutions in Venezuela. 

In recognition of his struggle for freedom and democracy, González was awarded the 2024 Sakharov Prize alongside fellow opposition leader María Corina Machado.

 

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