The many photos from the election campaign tour show the same thing: Presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado stand smiling and waving on top of a car. Surrounded on all sides, cheering Venezuelans stand and wave the flag. When Maria Corina Machado visited a village in the state of Merida, she had rose petals thrown at her by supporters. Photo: Gaby Oraa / Reuters Opponents of Maduro She has become the very symbol of opposition to the authoritarian regime of President Nicolás Maduro. He is the opportunity to make a change. For the first time in 25 years, the opposition has hope for a change of power in the country. But Edmundo González risks being disqualified from running, as his political partner Machado was in January. – It would not be surprising if they make that decision, says González to the Argentine newspaper La Nación. – It is one of the opportunities we face. We naturally hope that they respect what the majority of Venezuelans want, a desire for change, a peaceful change for all Venezuelans, he continues. Presidential candidate from the opposition, Edmundo González, during a political meeting in Caracas on 19 June this year. Photo: Ariana Cubillos / AP It is highly uncertain whether the so-called Chavismo, the incumbent regime, will accept an election defeat, writes newspaper El Pais. “A shame for democracy” said the US while the opposition shouted about electoral fraud when the country held presidential elections last time in 2018. Arresting the opposition 102 people have been arrested in recent weeks for having worked on the election campaign of González and Machado, according to the human rights organization Foro Penal. Among them were drivers of cars used on tour. Tens of opposition figures are already in prison or have been sent into exile. According to The Economist’s list of the world’s most democratic countries in 2023, oil-rich Venezuela is down to 142nd place out of 165 states. By comparison, Norway is in 1st place. – They said that we could not gather here because they would not give us permission to do so, but with their presence, their courage, we did not lose hope of holding this election campaign meeting, Edmundo Gonzalez told students on Sunday. The opposition and presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez was not actually allowed to meet at the university to hold an election campaign event on Sunday. He did it anyway. Photo: Gabriela Oraa / AFP He met hundreds of them at Venezuela’s Central University in Caracas. “The regime has fallen,” the students cheered back. More than a quarter of Venezuelans have fled the country since the current regime came to power. That amounts to more than 7.7 million people, most of whom have fled to other countries in Latin America, according to the UN. If González becomes president, “the country’s airports and border crossings will be filled with our children coming home”, according to him himself in May. Well placed in opinion polls The former diplomat González is well placed ahead of the presidential election next Sunday. According to an independent poll carried out by Delphos, he can get over 50 percent of the vote. Incumbent President Nicolás Maduro gets 25 percent. The incumbent President Nicolás Maduro at an election campaign meeting on Tuesday this week. Photo: Federico PARRA / AFP – To be honest, I had absolutely no plans to become a presidential candidate and even less to become president, says González to The Guardian newspaper. He became a candidate in April, when the 74-year-old pensioner agreed to run after Maria Corina Machado was banned from doing so by a Venezuelan court in January. Another successor was also blocked from running. The relatively unknown González has become very popular after Machado lined up behind him. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is traveling around and meeting voters in Venezuela, despite not being allowed to run in the July 28 election. Photo: Gaby Oraa / Reuters He has never stood as a presidential candidate before. – I have not the slightest doubt that we will win on 28 July (…) Absolutely all election polls show that we are far ahead of the government’s candidate, he says further. Country in crisis Lower oil prices, corruption and poor management of public funds have sent Venezuela into a deep crisis. Incumbent President Nicolás Maduro believes, however, that the pain could be much worse if the opposition comes to power. Venezuela has for many years been known to be one of the world’s most dangerous countries. Over 90 percent of the household has been living in poverty since 2017. Photo: Federico PARRA / AFP Yesterday he called them “fascists” and warned people of a bloodbath and civil war if he himself does not win the election, according to the AP news agency. In smear campaigns, the former diplomat González has been accused of being a CIA agent and of having participated in a massacre in El Salvador, without any evidence of this. González himself has replied that the allegations fall on their own unreasonableness. Published 17.07.2024, at 20.16
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– It would not be strange if Chavism disqualifies me as a presidential candidate
