Venezuela Elections: Opposition Chooses Final Candidate, Former Diplomat Edmundo Gomez, to Challenge Nicolas Maduro

The Venezuela elections have gotten a new twist as the main opposition coalition has chosen a brand new candidate to challenge dictator Nicolas Maduro, a relatively unknown former diplomat named Edmundo Gonzalez, who has been dubbed an "accidental candidate" after the Maduro regime disqualified or harassed every prominent possible opponent that the strongman might face.

All ten parties in the united opposition coalition have come together to back Edmundo Gonzalez as their final candidate in the July 28 election and they even have a campaign jingle for him already. It comes with a salsa beat and declares "Todo el mundo con Edmundo," or "The entire world with Edmundo."

With the disqualification of Maria Corina Machado, a candidate who was projected to beat Maduro should the election be free and fair, the opposition was sent scrambling to find somebody to challenge Maduro. Several came out, with Machado even handpicking her own alternate candidate. Ultimately, however, they settled on Edmundo Gonzalez who is relatively unknown to many Venezuelans.

The Venezuelan opposition, often divided by petty squabbles, united around Gonzalez and this surprising show of unity is adding to the mounting international pressure on the Maduro regime to implement a free and fair vote on July 28, according to the Associated Press.

However, Gonzalez does have a legitimate challenge to his candidacy, as there is a move to ban his entire party from the ballot and that is currently pending in the Supreme Court, which is allied with Nicolas Maduro. This is the same Supreme Court that upheld a ban on Machado after she won the candidacy after winning the opposition primary with over 90% of the vote.

Who Is New Venezuela Opposition Candidate Edmundo Gonzalez?

Before being chosen as the United Opposition's candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez used to be a low-profile diplomat who served as Vewnezuela's ambassador to Argentina and the African country of Algeria. In a race against a dictator known for politically suppressing opponents and cheating in the election, Gonzalez is the clear underdog.

"Edmundo is very professional, discreet, and has very firm democratic convictions. He's not a fan of using bombastic or radical words," former Democratic Unity Board opposition alliance secretary-general Jesus Torrealba said of the candidate.

Meanwhile, opposition leader Jose Guerra admitted this will be a difficult campaign given that Gonzalez is not very well known, He also pointed out that as a diplomat, Gonzalez thrives on the international stage and that he is fluent in English and French, along with Spanish.

Venezuela Opposition Faced a Myriad of Troubles to Find Nicolas Maduro Challenger

After Machado was disqualified, the clock was ticking for the opposition to find a replacement for her, She chose history professor Corina Yoris, but the Maduro regime made it difficult for her to register on the electoral council's online system by the March deadline.

The Venezuelan opposition chose again, this time settling on Gonzalez as Maduro's challenger.

Despite the tough odds, a lot of Venezuelans actually want to see Maduro kicked out of office, though his repression campaign has continued. Even his "friends" like Colombia's Gustavo Petro and Brazil's Lula have expressed concerns about the fairness of the election, while new Guatemala President Bernardo Arevalo outright slammed the Maduro regime, according to the AP.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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