Edmundo Gonzalez | The challenger who fled

Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia landed with his wife in Madrid on September 8, seeking asylum in Spain. He had been the official presidential candidate of the Democratic Unitary Platform in the Venezuelan elections held on July 28. According to Opposition parties, the 75-year old retired diplomat was also the victor.

However, the country’s National Electoral Council declared President Nicolas Maduro the winner, re-electing him for a third term. Opposition parties and poll observers dissented, citing their vote tallies to assert that his rival garnered more votes than Mr. Maduro. Exit polls had placed Mr. Gonzalez with 65% support, while Mr. Maduro reportedly had only between 14% to 31% of popular support. Countries such as the U.S, the U.K and Spain have not recognised Mr. Maduro’s victory.

But the powers that be have refused to capitulate. An arrest warrant had been issued for Mr. Gonzalez ahead of his departure, accusing him of several crimes, including conspiracy and forgery of documents.

Gonzalez’s origins

Mr. Gonzalez was born in 1949 in La Victoria, close to Caracas, to a family of limited means. His mother was a teacher and his father a shopkeeper.

Keen on foreign service, Mr. Gonzalez studied international relations at the Central University of Venezuela, also becoming a student leader during his time there. After graduating in 1970, he joined the diplomatic services, serving in Belgium and El Salvador. During a posting to the U.S., he also earned a master’s degree in international affairs from American University in Washington D.C. Mr. Gonzalez also served as Ambassador to Algeria and later Argentina, during the Hugo Chavez regime. He came back to Venezuela in 2002 and retired from the service.

Unobtrusive beginning

His political innings began in an unobtrusive manner. He became a backbench adviser for the Democratic Unity Roundtable — a coalition of Opposition parties — in 2008. He became president of the coalition’s Board of Directors in 2021, but continued in relative public obscurity. He spent his time in academic research, writing papers and giving talks, and being a loving grandfather to his four grandchildren.

Mr. Gonzalez found himself the presidential pick after two Opposition leaders — the popular Maria Corina Machado and Corina Yorisx — were barred from running by officials citing technicalities. As a deadline loomed, Mr. Gonzalez was selected as the Opposition’s candidate in April.

He exuded calmness and a grandfatherly air, particularly contrasted to other firebrand opposition leaders. A photograph of him feeding four guacamayas — tropical parrots, went viral in the country. His slogan “Edmundo, president for all” seemed to offer a salve after the political turbulence of the past few decades. His demeanour garnered him public appeal and opinion polls showed he had built a sizeable lead over Mr. Maduro ahead of the elections.

“It’s time for the big Venezuelan family to come together once more,” he said in an interview with CNN en Español. His poll plank consisted of curtailing inflation, at a 64% year-on-year high, and bringing back trust in government institutions and the judiciary. Further, Mr. Gonzalez was not as openly critical of Mr. Maduro’s regime as other Opposition leaders, and left the prospect of amnesty for political opponents open. Notably, some of these leaders are under investigation by the International Criminal Court for their role in crimes against humanity, following brutal attempts to suppress dissent in Venezuela, which has been witnessing a spiralling economy, sanctions and the flight of citizens over the last few years.

Elections and aftermath

Mr. Maduro and the Opposition had signed an agreement for a free and fair election in October 2023. However, the Opposition has had to navigate several roadblocks ahead of the July election. The candidacy of several Opposition leaders was blocked, and even after Mr. Gonzalez was selected, his campaign was subjected to multiple hurdles. Members of his political campaign were jailed, the Opposition was not given access to polling data or media, and confusion prevailed about the voting process.

Early results on July 28 pointed to a Gonzalez win, but Mr. Maduro was declared as having garnered 51% of the vote by the national election authority, in an announcement post midnight. Opposition leaders say their vote tallies indicate a clear victory for Mr. Gonzalez, and have called upon the authorities to publish the final poll results. International leaders have called for transparency in polling data, while Venezuelans have taken to the streets in protest. Meanwhile, Mr. Maduro has insisted that protestors had been paid to attack election agency offices.

Now, following what Mr. Gonzalez has called “episodes of pressure, coercion, and threats that I wouldn’t be allowed to leave,” he has sought asylum in Spain.

On September 10, Spanish lawmakers debated a symbolic motion from the main opposition party to recognise Mr. Gonzalez as winner of the election, as many exiled from Venezuela gathered outside the Spanish Parliament in Madrid. Among the crowd, which held Venezuelan flags and chanted “Brave Venezuela” and “Edmundo, president,” was Carolina Gonzalez, the retired diplomat’s daughter.

She had a message from her father for the protestors: “I assure you that this fight will continue until we reach our objectives, until the end… Do not lose heart, I will not let you down.”