Venezuela: opposition announces replacement of Machado in presidential elections

The Venezuelan opposition ratified this Friday the candidacy of diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia to face the president Nicolas Maduro in the presidential elections on July 28, in place of the disqualified leader María Corina Machado.

Gonzalez Urrutia “I was already registered as a candidate.”provisional” of the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), but the coalition decided “unanimously approve” his final application, he told the press Omar Barbozasecretary general of the alliance.

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

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 nomination of academic Corina Yoris, Machado’s first choice to represent her. Barboza, in fact, avoided expressly pointing out her candidacy as a replacement for the opposition leader.

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

“We celebrate this decision and thank Venezuelans for their trust.“, indicated in X the Vente Venezuela party, of Machado, 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 in the electoral ticket.

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

His inscription had been crossed out as “treason” by some opponents close to Machado, who for their part claimed that there had been “distrust” about Rosales, rival of Hugo Chavez in 2006.

“It was a unanimous decision, we want to recognize the governor Manuel Rosalesis 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 the definitive candidate, he is already registered and his registration was admitted by the National Electoral Council and was not objected to by anyone”added Barboza.

Other opposition leaders celebrated the announcement

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

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