Venezuela Election: Opposition Candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Holds First Rally, Pledges Unity Amid Nicolas Maduro's Repression Campaign

The Venezuela presidential election is fully underway as the united opposition coalition's candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, finally held his first political rally in his hometown of La Victoria, with opposition leader Mariana Corina Machado campaigning with him. While this is happening though, strongman Nicolas Maduro is still up to his old tricks as political repression and human rights abuses remain strong in Venezuela.

VOA News described the rally as massive, as the unlikely candidate urged Venezuelans to imagine a country where public services are not a luxury and where "people are not imprisoned for their political beliefs."

"I guarantee a peaceful alternation in which all political forces will be able to exercise their rights within the framework of the constitution," he said in his speech before his hometown crowd. "I want to call on all Venezuelans to join me in a peaceful and orderly change of government. We will move from division to unity, from abuse by a few to the rule of law for all, and from this undignified present to a dignified future for all."

Gonzalez found himself as the opposition's candidate after Maria Corina Machado was deemed ineligible by the Maduro-backed Supreme Court. Before her disqualification, the Maduro regime had a deal with the US to let all candidates run in exchange for several sanctions being lifted. Ultimately, the US reinstated these sanctions after Machado's disqualification.

Machado was leading against Maduro in various independent polls when the Supreme Court ruled that she was still disqualified, breaking Venezuela's promise to let disqualified candidates run in its deal with the US government.

Who Is the Venezuela Opposition Candidate Running Against Nicolas Maduro, Edmundo Gonzalez?

Gonzalez was a relative unknown before he became the biggest challenger to Nicolas Maduro. However, Maduro managed to disqualify and harass so many opposition members that experts think that the opposition was forced to pick an unknown.

He was a career diplomat before he ran for president, serving as an aide to Venezuela's ambassador to the United States in the late 1970s before being posted to Belgium and El Salvador. He then gained a massive promotion by being picked as Venezuela's ambassador to Algeria.

When Hugo Chavez came into power, he was appointed as the ambassador to Argentina during the first years of the Chavista regime. After leaving the diplomatic service, he worked as an international relations consultant and wrote history books, according to the Associated Press.

US Working to Ensure Venezuela Election Is Credible

Venezuela has become quite infamous for its questionable election results under Maduro. The US is working to ensure cheating does not happen again, but it is facing many obstacles.

According to Reuters, the Biden administration is currently working with regional and European partners, together with Venezuelan "stakeholders" to make sure that the July 28 vote is credible, though many are afraid that Maduro would do his antics again, especially as Gonzalez is leading against him in the polls.

"The prospect for a free and fair election or even a minimally credible election remains one that we are very interested in seeking to advance, but we recognize also there are significant obstacles," a Biden administration official said. "Whether or not Maduro could win an election in Venezuela is at best a very open question. Certainly there is a significant

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Written by: Rick Martin

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