Edmundo González

González was born in La Victoria, Aragua, in 1949 to a schoolteacher and shopkeeper.{{Cite web|title=Entry Encabezamiento personal › Biblioteca Universidad Monteávila catalog|url=https://catalagobiblioteca.uma.edu.ve/cgi-bin/koha/opac-authoritiesdetail.pl?authid=2817&marc=1|access-date=5 April 2024|website=Universidad Monteávila}}{{Cite book|last=González Urrutia|first=Edmundo|title=Caracciolo Parra Pérez, 1888–1964|publisher=El Nacional|year=2008|isbn=9789803952211|location=Caracas|language=es|quote=Edmundo González Urrutia - La Victoria, estado Aragua (1949). Graduado en la Escuela de Estudios Internacionales de la UCV. Estudios de postgrado en la American University en Washington DC, donde obtuvo el título de Master of Arts in International Affairs (1981). Funcionario de carrera del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores. Fue director general de Análisis y Planificación Estratégica, embajador de Venezuela en Argentina, director general de Política Internacional, embajador de Venezuela en Argelia.}}{{Cite news|last1=Glatsky|first1=Genevieve|last2=Herrera|first2=Isayen|last3=Fernandez|first3=Adriana Loureiro|date=6 May 2024|title=Meet the Candidate Challenging Venezuela's Authoritarian President|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/06/world/americas/edmundo-gonzalez-venezuela-elections.html|access-date=6 May 2024|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}} He received a degree in international studies from the Central University of Venezuela and a Master of Arts in international relations from the American University in the United States in 1981.{{Cite journal|date=December 2011|title=Geopolítica de Chávez: la globalización y el imperio|journal=Diálogo Político|language=es|publisher=Konrad Adenauer Foundation|issue=4|pages=121–138}}{{Cite news|date=26 March 2024|title=Perfil: Edmundo González Urrutia, el candidato tapa de la oposición para las presidenciales|url=https://elpitazo.net/politica/perfil-edmundo-gonzalez-urrutia-el-candidato-tapa-de-la-oposicion-para-las-presidenciales/|work=El Pitazo}}

File:1994. Septiembre 6. Encuentro de Rafael Caldera con el presidente de Colombia, Ernesto Samper en La Casona.jpg and Ernesto Samper, when he was a foreign ministry official]]

González began his diplomatic career working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela. He was posted in El Salvador and Belgium before serving as a first secretary for the Venezuelan Ambassador to the United States in 1978.{{Cite book|title=Diplomatic List: Volume 202 of Department of State publication: Department and Foreign Service series|publisher=United States Department of State|year=1978|pages=69|language=en|quote=Mr. Edmundo GONZALEZ-URRUTIA; Mrs. Gonzalez-Urrutia First Secretary}}

From 1991 to 1993, González served as the Venezuelan Ambassador to Algeria. He was the Director General of International Policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1994 to 1999. In November 1998,{{cite web|title=Memoria Académica 1999|url=https://www.cari.org.ar/memoria/1999.html|website=CARI|access-date=5 April 2024}}{{Cite web |title="Chávez no era un anti-ALCA" |url=https://www.ambito.com/opiniones/chavez-no-era-un-anti-alca-n3407716 |access-date=2024-12-18 |website=www.ambito.com}} González arrived in Argentina beside the newly inaugurated president of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, when he presented his credentials to serve as ambassador.{{cite news|title=El embajador de Venezuela visitó ayer LA NACION|url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/sociedad/el-embajador-de-venezuela-visito-ayer-la-nacion-nid129706/|access-date=5 April 2024|work=La Nación|date=2 March 1999|language=es}} While in Argentina, he promoted Venezuela's entry into Mercosur. His posting as ambassador to Argentina ended in July 2002.

From 2013 to 2015, González was the international representative for the Venezuelan opposition's political alliance, the Democratic Unity Roundtable (UMD).

In the 2020s, González became the president of the opposition's political alliance, the Unitary Platform, the successor of MUD.{{Cite web|last=Rodríguez Rosas|first=Ronny|date=3 April 2024|title=Plataforma Unitaria confirma que CNE aceptó candidatura de Edmundo González|url=http://efectococuyo.com/politica/plataforma-unitaria-confirma-que-cne-acepto-candidatura-de-edmundo-gonzalez/|access-date=5 April 2024|website=Efecto Cocuyo|language=es}}{{Cite web|date=2024-06-08|title=Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia: Meet the quiet, bird-loving grandfather taking on strongman Maduro in Venezuela's election |work=CNN|url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/08/americas/edmundo-gonzalez-venezuela-profile-intl-latam/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240608170713/https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/06/08/americas/edmundo-gonzalez-venezuela-profile-intl-latam|archive-date=2024-06-08|access-date=2024-08-04}}

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{{Main|2024 Venezuelan presidential election}}

After the National Electoral Council (CNE) declared María Corina Machado–who won the 2023 Unitary Platform presidential primaries–ineligible for holding political office in the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election and Machado's alternate candidate Corina Yoris faced complications preventing her from filing her candidacy, González was entered as a Unitary Platform presidential candidate. On 20 April, the other major opposition candidate Manuel Rosales suspended his candidacy and endorsed González.{{Cite web|last=ADeBarros|date=20 April 2024|title=La CARTA de renuncia de Manuel Rosales como candidato para las presidenciales (Documento)|url=https://albertonews.com/nacionales/la-carta-de-renuncia-de-manuel-rosales-como-candidato-para-las-presidenciales-documento/|access-date=26 April 2024|website=AlbertoNews |language=es}}

On 26 March 2024, the CNE confirmed that González was a candidate for the 2024 presidential election.{{Cite news|date=26 March 2024|title=Venezuela: la principal alianza opositora logra registrar una candidatura presidencial|url=https://elcomercio.pe/mundo/venezuela/elecciones-venezuela-2024-edmundo-gonzalez-urrutia-mud-logra-registrar-candidatura-a-las-presidenciales-maria-corina-machado-corina-yoris-pud-plataforma-unitaria-democratica-nicolas-maduro-cne-noticia/?ref=ecr|access-date=5 April 2024|work=El Comercio|language=es-PE|issn=1605-3052}}

González stated in April 2024 in an interview with Agence France-Presse that "Venezuela must put aside [internal] struggles, political diatribe, confrontation, and we must all fight for Venezuela's recovery and transition. That is what's fundamental", arguing for his candidacy as one of "my contribution to unity, to the struggle for a democratic transition".{{Cite web|title=Time for 'democratic transition' in Venezuela, says opposition candidate|url=https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/latin-america/time-for-democratic-transition-in-venezuela-says-opposition-candidate-edmundo-gonzalez-urrutia.phtml|access-date=26 April 2024|website=www.batimes.com.ar}}

González stated in the same interview that "I have no personal aspirations... never, never, never imagin[ing] I would be in this position, but that is secondary to the challenge ahead." González still refers to María Corina Machado as "the leader of the opposition" and "the leader of this unitary process".{{Cite web|date=24 April 2024|title=Time for 'democratic transition' in Venezuela: opposition candidate to AFP|url=https://www.rfi.fr/en/international-news/20240424-time-for-democratic-transition-in-venezuela-opposition-candidate-to-afp|access-date=26 April 2024|website=RFI|language=en}} González stated his goal to be "bring[ing] Venezuelans together (and) the return[ing] of political exiles" followed by "the recovery of the economy and of democracy".

{{main|2024 Venezuelan presidential election}}

According to The Sunday Times González was "widely seen as the rightful winner" of a disputed election whose results announced by CNE electoral authorities—without providing evidence—cast Venezuela into a political crisis; most American democracies did not recognize Maduro as the winner, while "mostly authoritarian countries" including China, Russia, Iran, Cuba and North Korea did.{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/latin-america/article/venezuela-opposition-leader-edmundo-gonzalez-spain-jnrgk0tnr|title=Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González flees to Spain|work=The Sunday Times|author=Gibbs, Stephen|date=8 September 2024|access-date=8 September 2024}}

The BBC and The Guardian reported that Peru was the first country to recognize González as Venezuela's president-elect, on 30 July{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/mundo/articles/c6p24vjwj3vo|publisher=BBC News Mundo|date=30 July 2024|title=Perú se convierte en el primer país en considerar a Edmundo González como 'presidente electo' de Venezuela|language=es|trans-title=Peru becomes the first country to consider Edmundo González as 'president-elect' of Venezuela|access-date=3 August 2024}}{{cite news|last1=Phillips|first1=Tom|last2=Gambino|first2=Lauren|date=31 July 2024|title=Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro blames unrest on far-right conspiracy as isolation grows|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/01/venezuela-election-results-nicolas-maduro-protests-gonzalez-machado|access-date=1 August 2024|work=The Guardian}}—a statement from the former Peruvian foreign minister that was corrected on 5 September by Peru's Council of Ministers after a new foreign minister was named.{{cite news|url=https://eldiario.com/2024/09/05/consejo-de-ministros-peru-no-ha-reconocido-a-edmundo-gonzalez-como-presidente-venezuela/|work=El Diario de Caracas|date=5 September 2024|access-date=8 September 2024|language=es|title=Consejo de Ministros de Perú aclaró que su gobierno no ha reconocido a Edmundo González como presidente electo de Venezuela|trans-title=Peru's Council of Ministers clarified that its government has not recognized Edmundo González as the elected president of Venezuela}} Peruvian President Dina Boluarte reinforced on 6 September that Peru's position with respect to Venezuela had not changed under the new foreign minister, saying "We will not be part of an electoral fraud; we will not support a dictatorial government."{{cite news|url=https://eldiario.com/2024/09/06/peru-ratifica-postura-sobre-venezuela-no-apoya-gobierno-dictatorial/|work=El Diario de Caracas|date=6 September 2024|access-date=8 September 2024|language=es|title=Perú ratifica su postura sobre Venezuela: 'No vamos a apoyar ningún gobierno dictatorial'|trans-title=Peru reaffirms its position on Venezuela: 'We will not support any dictatorial government'}}

On 1 August, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that there was "overwhelming evidence" that González won the presidential election.{{Cite web|title=Blinken: Overwhelming evidence Venezuela opposition won election|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd1d10453zno|access-date=2024-08-02|website=www.bbc.com|language=en-GB}}{{Cite news|last1=Schmidt|first1=Samantha|last2=Brown|first2=Matthew Hay|date=2024-08-02|title=U.S. says Maduro lost Venezuelan election, calls for talks, transition|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/08/01/venezuela-election-maduro-us/|access-date=2024-08-02|newspaper=Washington Post|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}} On 2 August, Argentina recognized González as president-elect, while Uruguayan Foreign Minister Omar Paganini stated that there was an “overwhelming amount of information” whereby González may be considered the winner of the elections. On the same day, Costa Rica also recognized González's victory in the Venezuelan elections over Nicolás Maduro.{{Cite web|title=Argentina recognizes Edmundo Gonzalez as president-elect of Venezuela|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/argentina-recognizes-edmundo-gonzalez-as-president-elect-of-venezuela/3293617|access-date=2024-08-02|website=www.aa.com.tr}}{{Cite web|title=Montevideo says González Urrutia won but still not president-elect|url=https://en.mercopress.com/2024/08/03/montevideo-says-gonzalez-urrutia-won-but-still-not-president-elect|access-date=2024-08-04|website=MercoPress|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2024-08-02|title=Costa Rica Recognizes Opposition Victory in Venezuelan Elections|url=https://ticotimes.net/2024/08/02/costa-rica-recognizes-opposition-victory-in-venezuelan-elections|access-date=2024-08-04|website=The Tico Times|language=en-US}} By 4 August, Ecuador and Panama also recognized Edmundo González's victory.{{Cite web|last=Cuevas|first=Carlos|date=2024-08-02|title=Lista de países que reconocen a Edmundo González como presidente de Venezuela|url=https://www.bloomberglinea.com/latinoamerica/venezuela/lista-de-paises-que-reconocen-a-edmundo-gonzalez-como-presidente-de-venezuela/|access-date=2024-08-04|website=Bloomberg Línea|language=es}}

Maduro did not acknowledge the results published by the opposition which claimed he lost the election,{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/14/venezuela-election-maduro|title=Nicolás Maduro's refusal to quit raises a troubling question for Venezuela: what next?|work=The Guardian|author=Phillips, Tom|date=14 August 2024|access-date=23 August 2024}} and instead asked the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ), composed of justices loyal to Maduro,{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/22/maduro-accused-power-grab-top-court-endorses-venezuela-election-win|title=Pressure grows on Maduro after top court endorses Venezuela election win|work=The Guardian|author=Phillips, Tom|date=22 August 2024|access-date=23 August 2024}}{{cite news|last1=Herrero|first1=Ana Vanessa|last2=Schmidt|first2=Samantha|last3=DeYoung|first3=Karen|title=Biden made a bold deal with Venezuela's strongman. Will it pay off?|newspaper=Washington Post|date=15 July 2024|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/07/15/venezuela-election-maduro-biden-deal/|access-date=29 July 2024|archive-date=15 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240715122425/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/07/15/venezuela-election-maduro-biden-deal/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/22/world/americas/venezuela-supreme-court-maduro-election.html|work=The New York Times|title=Venezuela's Supreme Court, Loyal to Maduro, Rules Him Election Winner|date=22 August 2024|access-date=23 August 2024|author1=Turkewitz, Julie|author2=Glatsky, Genevieve|quote=The decision surprised few Venezuelans, as the court has long been used to rubber-stamp the policies of Mr. Maduro, who is likely to use this ruling to strengthen his claim to the presidency.}}{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/venezuelas-supreme-court-backs-maduro-as-election-winner-93f5d184|title=Maduro's Hand-Picked Supreme Court Calls Him Venezuela's Election Winner|work=The Wall Street Journal|date=22 August 2023|access-date=23 August 2024|author=Vyas, Kejal|quote=The court's ruling was expected, as it is stacked with loyalists to Maduro's ruling Socialist Party.}} to audit and approve the results.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyj439myd1jo|publisher=BBC|title=Maduro manoeuvring to stay in power in Venezuela|first=Vanessa|last=Buschschlüter|date=1 August 2024|access-date=1 August 2024|archive-date=1 August 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240801185207/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyj439myd1jo|url-status=live|quote=Mr Maduro has turned to Venezuela's top court ... But instead of making the tallies public, he took the unusual step of filing a 'writ of amparo' - a legal move normally used by citizens who think their constitutional rights have been violated. He asked the top court to audit the voting tallies with a view to confirming the results provided by the CNE which handed him another six-year term in power. ... However, this move has already been dismissed by independent bodies, including the Carter Center.}}{{cite news|title=Brazil, Colombia urge new Venezuela vote, as opposition cries foul|first1=Javier|last1=Tovar|first2=Barbara|last2=Agelvis|date=15 August 2024|work=Agence France-Presse|publisher=Yahoo News|url=https://sg.news.yahoo.com/brazils-president-suggests-vote-venezuela-155910749.html|access-date=16 August 2024|quote=Maduro has previously rejected the possibility of new elections and asked the country's highest court, also viewed as loyal to him, to certify the outcome.}} On 22 August, as anticipated, the TSJ described the CNE's statement of Maduro winning the election as "validated".{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/venezuelas-top-court-ratifies-maduro-election-win-government-tightens-control-2024-08-22/|title=Venezuela's top court ratifies Maduro election win as government tightens control|work=Reuters|date=22 August 2024|access-date=22 August 2024}}

{{main|2024 Venezuelan political crisis}}

An arrest warrant was issued on 2 September for González for the alleged crimes of "usurpation of functions, falsification of public documents, instigation to disobey the law, conspiracy and association".{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/venezuela-attorney-general-requests-arrest-warrant-opposition-leader-gonzalez-2024-09-02/|work=Reuters|date=2 September 2024|access-date=3 September 2024|title=Venezuela issues arrest warrant for opposition leader Gonzalez, AG says|author1=Sequera, Vivian|author2=Armas, Mayela}} After the election, González sought refuge secretly in the Dutch Embassy through 5 September,{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-opposition-candidate-gonzalez-asylum-spain-749131a560dd9d762e04e201e43b9495|publisher=Associated Press|date=8 September 2024|access-date=8 September 2024|title=Opposition presidential candidate González flees Venezuela for asylum in Spain|author1=Rueda, Jorge|author2=Goodman, Joshua|author3=Wilson, Joseph}}{{Cite web|date=8 September 2024|title=In diepste geheim bood Nederland onderdak aan oppositieleider Venezuela|url=https://www.rtl.nl/nieuws/politiek/artikel/5469697/diepste-geheim-nederland-ambassade-onderdak-oppositieleider|access-date=8 September 2024|work=RTL Nederland|language=nl|trans-title=The Netherlands secretly offered shelter to Venezuelan opposition leader}} after which he spent several days in the Spanish embassy in Caracas, and was granted asylum, leaving on a Spanish Armed Forces flight on 7 September 2024.{{cite news|url=https://eldiario.com/2024/09/07/edmundo-gonzalez-abandono-venezuela-asilo-espana/|work=El Diario de Caracas|date=7 September 2024|access-date=8 September 2024|language=es|title=Edmundo González abandonó Venezuela tras solicitar asilo político en España|trans-title=Edmundo González left Venezuela after requesting political asylum in Spain}} His wife accompanied him on the flight to Madrid, where they would join a daughter who lives there.{{cite news|url=https://www.elmundo.es/internacional/2024/09/08/66dd0f9afc6c83894b8b4580.html|work=El Mundo|language=es|date=8 September 2024|access-date=8 September 2024|title=Edmundo González vuela a Madrid tras negociar su exilio|trans-title=Edmundo González flies to Madrid after negotiating his exile|author1=Lozano, Daniel|author2=Piña, Raúl}} González, along with María Corina Machado, was awarded the Sakharov Prize on 24 October.{{cite news|title=Venezuelan opposition leaders awarded Europe's Sakharov Prize for democratic campaign|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/venezuelan-opposition-leaders-machado-gonzales-awarded-sakharov-prize-2024-10-24/|access-date=24 October 2024|work=Reuters}}

González has been described as a centrist and an apolitical "consensus maker".

González was apolitical during his diplomatic service, working for both Hugo Chávez and Carlos Andrés Pérez. While González worked against the Chávez–Maduro administrations, his attitude has been described as conciliatory. While former presidential candidate María Corina Machado supported prosecution of the human rights abuses of the Maduro government, González has repeatedly supported talks with Maduro.{{Cite web|last=Itriago Acosta|first=Andreina|date=24 April 2024|title=Venezuelan Opposition Leader Says He'd Be Open to Talks With Maduro|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-24/venezuelan-opposition-leader-says-he-d-be-open-to-talks-with-maduro?sref=0w5HLLb3|website=Bloomberg}}

Since 1973, he has been married to the dentist Mercedes Marina López Unzueta (1949), with whom he has two daughters: Mariana del Carmen, born on July 16, 1976, and Carolina, born on January 4, 1980 in Washington, D.C. and has four grandchildren.

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• [https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-04-26/edmundo-gonzalez-urrutia-maduros-main-rival-in-the-venezuelan-elections-i-dont-feel-afraid.html Edmundo González Urrutia, Maduro's main rival in the Venezuelan elections: 'I don't feel afraid']

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Category:1949 births

Category:Ambassadors of Venezuela to Algeria

Category:Ambassadors of Venezuela to Argentina

Category:American University alumni

Category:Candidates for President of Venezuela

Category:Venezuelan anti-communists

Category:Central University of Venezuela alumni

Category:Living people

Category:Venezuelan Roman Catholics

Category:Venezuelan exiles

Category:Venezuelan expatriates in Spain

Category:Sakharov Prize laureates

Category:People of the Crisis in Venezuela