Edmundo González Urrutia | Venezuela: Opposition ratifies diplomat as presidential candidate in place of María Corina Machado and Manuel Rosales renounces his candidacy

The opposition of Venezuela ratified this Friday the candidacy of diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia, as representative of the disqualified leader Maria Corina Machado in the July 28 elections, in which President Nicolás Maduro will seek a third term.

Gonzalez Urrutia He was already registered as a “provisional” candidate for the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD)but the coalition decided “unanimously to approve” his final nomination, Omar Barbosa, secretary general of the alliance, told the press.

“It is a historic decision for the people of Venezuela,” said Barboza.. “We have chosen the next president of the Republic.”

Gonzalez Urrutia74 years old, did not accompany him during the statement.

The majority opposition registered after the last minute Gonzalez Urrutia as a presidential candidate, after denouncing a blockade of the nomination system that prevented the academic from being nominated Corina Yoris, first option of Machado to represent it.

The process was actually carried out in an extension granted by the National Electoral Council (CNE), accused of serving Chavismo. The ambassador was the president of the party MUDacronym for the Democratic Unity Roundtable, later replaced by the PUD, and its candidacy was in principle a “cover” while a unity candidate was defined.

“We celebrate this decision and we thank Venezuelans for their trust,” Machado’s Vente Venezuela party indicated in X. who “will send a message to the country” in the next few hours.

Machado swept the PUD primaries last year, with more than 90% of the votes, and went to the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) in a mechanism agreed upon in negotiations between the Maduro government and the opposition to review the disqualifications. The sanction, however, was ratified under the claim of the United States and the European Union.

“Unity” candidate

The decision was made after hours of meetings this Friday, hours before the deadline to replace candidates on the ballot closed.

The governor of the oil-producing state of Zulia, Manuel Rosales, declined his candidacy, which he registered, also at the last minute, with his party Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT), which is part of the coalition.

His registration had been branded “treason” by some opponents close to him. Machadowhich for its part claimed that there was “distrust” about Rosalesrival of Hugo Chávez in 2006.

“It was a unanimous decision, we want to recognize Governor Manuel Rosales, he is a man who keeps his word (…) who decided to decline his candidacy to join the candidacy of Edmundo González Urrutia and the parties that are supporting Rosales did the same,” Barboza celebrated.

“Edmundo González Urrutia was originally registered as a provisional candidate and today he becomes a definitive candidate, He is already registered and his registration was admitted by the National Electoral Council and was not objected to by anyone,” Barboza added.

Other opposition leaders celebrated the announcement.

It remains for Rosales’ parties and those who supported his candidacy to formalize this Saturday before the CNE the support for Gonzalez Urrutia so that the votes on those cards go to the PUD, Barboza said.

“We have a unanimous candidate, not only are we united, we are super united,” the leader settled.