Edmundo González Urrutia voted in Caracas: “We are prepared to defend every last vote”

Edmundo González spoke to the media after casting his vote in Caracas

Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia cast his vote this past Sunday at noon at the Santo Tomás de Villanueva educational unit in Caracas, where there were moments of high expectation while awaiting the arrival of the former ambassador to Algeria, Tunisia and Argentina.

After casting his vote, the opposition candidate made statements to the press. “We trust that the Armed Forces will respect the decision of our people. We are going to exchange hatred for love, poverty for progress, corruption for honesty, farewells for reunions… The time has come for reconciliation of all Venezuelans; the time has come for change, the time for hope and peace. Long live free Venezuela!”

He also highlighted the large turnout of voters at the polling stations: “We are showing that we are one people. What we see are lines of joy and hope. Today begins the day of reconciliation for all Venezuelans.”

“The democratic spirit is more alive than ever,” he added.

The moment of Edmundo González Urrutia’s vote

González Urrutia also praised the work of the polling station witnesses, whom he urged to “verify any information that reaches them,” and asked that the day be peaceful: “We are prepared to defend every last vote.”

“These have been intense and exciting days traveling around the country. And that was possible thanks to the union of all democratic forces. We do not want more Venezuelans leaving the country, and we will do everything possible to bring them back here and we will welcome them with open arms,” said the opposition candidate.

Asked about the expulsion of international observers by the Maduro dictatorship, González Urrutia said that this maneuver by the regime is a sign of “weakness and intolerance.”

Edmundo González Urrutia speaks to the press after casting his vote (Raul ARBOLEDA / AFP)

The diplomat was propelled into the electoral race after the disqualification of María Corina Machado, a measure taken by the Nicolás Maduro regime that nevertheless did not prevent the banned leader from campaigning for the opposition, in a series of mass events that impacted the electorate to the point of pushing González Urrutia to lead the polls by a wide margin.

The favourite arrived at the polling station where he was awaited by both local authorities and a large number of media outlets, many of them international, who managed to obtain accreditation to carry out their work in the country despite the restrictions and numerous deportations applied by the dictatorship.

This weekend, the opposition candidate said that the country will experience its “most important democratic expression” of “recent years” this Sunday. “It will be, without a doubt, the most important democratic expression of the Venezuelan people in recent years, that is why I want to reiterate the invitation to exercise the right that each one of you has to transform your future,” said the candidate of the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) in a video posted on his social networks.

The former Venezuelan ambassador also said that “millions of people, the vast majority of the country,” have “still not lost faith” in political change, after 25 years with Chavismo in power, and that this Sunday will be a “great day,” which the nation has been waiting for for a long time.”

Opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez makes a victory sign as he arrives to vote in the presidential election in Caracas (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

As never before in the 25 years of the Chavista regime, the most traditional polls in the country unanimously predict a wide victory for Edmundo González Urrutia over Nicolás Maduro. Delphos, ClearPath Strategies, Consultores 21, Poder y Estrategia, ORC Consultores and Datanálisis, agree that the difference in favor of the opposition is more than 20 points, although the exact figures may vary slightly between them.

His career in the foreign service began under the first term of Venezuelan President Rafael Caldera (1969-1974). He quickly rose to positions of high responsibility and served as Director General of International Policy and then as ambassador to Algeria and Argentina, countries where his skill as a negotiator was widely recognized.

During his stay in Algeria (1991-1993), he worked to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries. His mission in Argentina (1994-2002) coincided with turbulent times in Venezuelan politics, including the rise of Hugo Chávez to power. Despite the former Chavista leader’s opposing views, Edmundo maintained a neutral stance.

Edmundo González’s campaign team denounced the veto on electoral witnesses (REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria)

Report of veto on electoral witnesses

The campaign command of the presidential candidate of the majority opposition denounced this Sunday that some of its electoral witnesses have been denied access to the voting centers in Venezuela, where the elections are in full swing. “This is an incident that occurred in a percentage of tables that is decreasing, as the hours go by, and that is tending to improve, but even at this time (10 local time, 14 GMT) there are some centers where the witnesses are not allowed to enter,” said former deputy Delsa Solórzano, on behalf of the opposition team.

He recalled that the witnesses of the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), the opposition alliance, were “trained and accredited by the electoral body” and that the authorities are therefore obliged to allow their entry to the more than 15,000 centres set up throughout the country for the voting.

He also asked the Armed Forces and the coordinators of the centers to “stop trying to slow down the process,” as he spoke of cases in which citizens are being asked for their identity cards before entering the space where the voting machines are located, which is where they must present the document.