Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia

Edmundo González said receiving Venezuelans would help Nicolas Maduro tighten his grip on power

Edmundo González Urrutia was last seen in Dominican Republic, He had promised to be sworn in as President of Venezuela on Friday

The move to attack Machado heightened global concern over Venezuela's political crisis

The Latin Times sat down with political analyst Melanio Escobar amid the ongoing crisis that currently engulfs Venezuela

Whether the incoming president decides to intensifying sanctions or revive diplomacy will have a direct impact on the South American country's future

The group includes former presidents Andrés Pastrana of Colombia, Felipe Calderón of Mexico and Jorge Quiroga of Bolivia

Joe Biden called the exiled Venezuelan leader "the true winner" of the country's presidential election last July

Edmundo González seeks to bolster his international backing as he plans to return to Venezuela and challenge Maduro's plan to claim a third term

Gonzalez Urrutia has been recognized by the United States, Italy and several Latin American nations as Venezuela's president-elect, despite Maduro being declared the official winner of the July 28 vote.

Edmundo Gonzalez, recognized as the winner of the election by the U.S., has been in exile in Spain since September.

Maria Corina Machado also urged Trump to reverse sanction relief introduced under President Biden and pursue new measures

Both him and the opposition expressed hope for strengthening their relations with the United States.

The list also includes president Braziluan Lula da Silva and Panama's Jose Raúl Mulino but not Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum

In the letter, dated September 7 and addressed to National Assembly leader Jorge Rodriguez, Gonzalez Urrutia said "I respect" the regime-aligned CNE electoral council's proclamation of Maduro as the winner of the July 28 vote.

"We must not let Maduro and his representatives cling to power by force," added U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on X

As Edmundo González flees to Spain, Machado stands firm in Venezuela, promising to lead the fight against Nicolas Maduro.

Spanish government confirms asylum for González, who expressed gratitude after landing in the Azores en route to Madrid. Pedro Sánchez calls him a hero.

The court, the prosecutor's office said on Instagram, had granted its request for a warrant for Gonzalez Urrutia for "serious crimes."

The United States, the European Union and several Latin American countries have refused to recognize Maduro as having won without seeing detailed voting results of the July 28 election.

Opposition leaders Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia and Maria Corina Machado on Monday appealed to the "conscience" of the military and police officers -- traditionally staunch allies of Maduro -- to "take the side of the people".

"Now it is up to the international community to decide whether to tolerate a demonstrably illegitimate government" she wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed

Jorge Rodriguez and Diosdado Cabello both made menacing speeches at the National Assembly while violence continues across the country

From members of the Comando con Venezuela coalition to ex-presidential hopeful Leopoldo López, indignation came flooding in after the announcement

Edison Research revealed an exit poll that projects Edmundo González Urrutia will defeat Nicolás Maduro in a landslide win

Edmundo González Urrutia also said that he trusts the country's military will respect Sunday's election results

Maduro, seeking a third six-year term at the helm of the economically devastated country, lags far behind challenger Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia in stated voter intentions, but is counting on a loyal electoral machinery.

The opposition leader told the press that two of them were detained Monday near her campaign headquarters in Caracas.

"It is not possible for Venezuela to maintain a presence with countries where human rights are not respected," he said in a recent interview.

President Nicolás Maduro is seeking a third consecutive term

Gonzalez, 74, has the endorsement of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who is popular but banned from running by courts loyal to Maduro, who will be seeking a third six-year term.