Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, leader of the opposition and contested winner of Venezuela’s July presidential election, has called on the Venezuelan army to support him in the challenging process of political transition.
A new presidential term is set to begin next Friday, January 10, and both Gonzalez Urrutia and the country’s current president, Nicolas Maduro, have claimed victory in the election. Each has announced plans to attend and assume presidential functions.
Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia calls for Army support ahead of Venezuela presidential inauguration ceremony
In a video message posted on social media, Gonzalez Urrutia echoed Juan Guaidó before him, calling on Venezuela’s army to help him assume the presidency.
“According to the 1999 Constitution, promoted by Hugo Chavez Frías, on January 10, by the sovereign will of the Venezuelan people, I must assume the role of Commander-in-Chief, with the responsibility to protect our families and direct our efforts toward a future of well-being and prosperity for all Venezuelans,” Gonzalez Urrutia said.
“Our National Armed Forces are called to be the guarantor of sovereignty and respect for the popular will,” Gonzalez Urrutia said in his video message. “It is necessary to put an end to a leadership that has distorted the fundamental and moral principles of our Armed Forces,” he said, referencing the Maduro regime and its influence over the Venezuelan Army, which has remained loyal to him.
Gonzalez Urrutia is the disputed winner of the July 28 election against incumbent President Nicolas Maduro. As with all elections since Maduro came to power in 2013, the results are highly contested.
Maduro, backed by the country’s pro-Chavez institutions – including the Supreme Court, the Attorney General’s Office, and Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) – was officially recognized as the winner of the presidential election.
However, Gonzalez Urrutia and the opposition also claim victory. Using independent tracking of voting records through the platform Resultadosconvzla.com, Gonzalez is credited with winning by a landslide, securing 67% of the vote compared to Maduro’s 30%, based on more than 80% of the voting records.
Outside Venezuela, Gonzalez has been recognized as the winner by the United States and the European Union, as well as by the Carter Center, one of the few independent and nonpartisan electoral observers in Venezuela.
In the video, Gonzalez Urrutia added that “Many of you [Venezuelans] have expressed your desire for change alongside the rest of the Venezuelan people, demonstrating this by voting against this leadership that does not represent a guarantee of stability or a future for Venezuela. As of January 10, we must act with determination and unity to protect our Venezuela. Our mission is to restore the popular sovereignty expressed through the vote, and to guarantee the peace and stability of our nation.”
Disputed presidential inauguration ceremony approaches in Venezuela
Next Friday is highly anticipated by Venezuelans and diplomats around the world. While Maduro is likely to be sworn in as president of Venezuela for a third term, the opposition is not staying passive.
Gonzalez Urrutia is currently conducting a diplomatic tour to rally support for his presidency across the Americas. After meeting President Javier Milei in Argentina and President Luis Lacalle Pou in Uruguay, Gonzalez is expected to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden today, January 6, in Washington, as well as with the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS). Colombia’s Petro government has announced it will attend Maduro’s presidential inauguration, reaffirming its policy of good neighborliness and prioritizing diplomatic relations.
Maria Corina Machado, another opposition leader, has called for a massive mobilization in Venezuela next Thursday to pressure the regime. “Freedom is not begged for; it is fought for and conquered,” she said in a video message shared on social media.
The Venezuelan army, historically aligned with the Chavez regime, has remained a steadfast supporter of Maduro. Despite sporadic insurrections and rebellion attempts, the iron grip of generals allied with Maduro, along with the ruthless actions of SEBIN – Venezuela’s intelligence service – and Colonel Alexander Granko, head of the military’s special affairs division, has maintained control. Methods such as imprisonment, exile, torture, and even death have been used to suppress dissent.
As Venezuela approaches another turning point in its decade-long political crisis, global attention is focused on Caracas, the military, and the streets, to determine the fate of a long-suffering country.