María Corina Machado: ”Frihetens timme är kommen”

Edmundo González Urrutia (born 29 August 1949) is a Venezuelan politician, analyst, diplomat, and opposition figure who won the 2024 presidential elections in Venezuela. A member of the Unitary Platform political alliance, González was its candidate in the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election. A national and international political crisis erupted following the Venezuelan government's announcement that incumbent Nicolás Maduro won against González, which analysts argue was not based on the actual votes cast. The reactions of the international community were divided: democratic countries including the U.S., most European nations, and some Latin American countries (such as Argentina, Peru, and Uruguay) rejected the official results and recognized González as the election winner, while a number of autocratic governments including those of Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, and Cuba recognized Maduro as the winner. Maduro did not cede power, and instead asked the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ), composed of justices loyal to Maduro, to approve the results, which they did. An arrest warrant was issued for González, who was charged with "usurpation of functions, falsification of public documents, instigation to disobey the law, conspiracy and association"; he was granted asylum in Spain, leaving Venezuela on 7 September 2024. He was awarded the Sakharov Prize in December 2024, alongside María Corina Machado. González has previously served as the Venezuelan ambassador to Argentina and Algeria. He also sits on the editorial board of El Nacional.