Venezuela: Opposition confirms new presidential candidate, González Urrutia, as Machado and Rosales withdraw

The opposition in Venezuela confirmed the candidacy of diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia as the representative of disqualified leader Maria Corina Machado in the upcoming July 28 elections. President Nicolás Maduro will be seeking a third term in these elections. González Urrutia had previously been registered as a provisional candidate but has now been approved as the final nominee by the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) coalition. Omar Barbosa, the secretary general of the alliance, made this announcement to the press.

Despite being 74 years old, González Urrutia was not present during the statement confirming his candidacy. The opposition had faced difficulties in nominating a candidate due to a blockade in the nomination system. Ultimately, González Urrutia’s candidacy was approved by the National Electoral Council, after Manuel Rosales resigned his candidacy to support him.

The decision to nominate González Urrutia was made after hours of meetings on Friday, just before the deadline to replace candidates on the ballot closed. Other opposition leaders supported this decision and celebrated the unity within the coalition. It was also announced that parties supporting Rosales would now support González Urrutia.

The next steps will involve formalizing the support for González Urrutia before the CNE on Saturday, so that votes for those parties will go to the PUD. The opposition expressed unity and confidence in their candidate as they move forward with their campaign against Nicolás Maduro.