I have decided to stay and participate in the struggle here, while he does the same thing abroad. Everyone knows that Edmundo González is the elected president, whether he is in Venezuela or somewhere else, said Machado at a press conference via video call.
Edmundo González has lived in hiding for a period, but fled to Spain over the weekend with his wife. According to Machado, he left the country because his life was in danger. Machado is also living in hiding, but has led a handful of protests against the sitting president Nicolás Maduro over the past few months.
Maria Corina Machado, 56, had her presidential candidacy blocked by Maduro-loyal institutions in 2023 and was succeeded by Edmundo González, 75.
González is now calling for dialogue to reunite the country.
"Only dialogue will be able to unite us as fellow citizens", he writes on the social media platform X.
Venezuela has been plunged into a political crisis after the presidential election on July 28, which both the opposition and the sitting president Nicolás Maduro claim to have won. The EU, the USA, the UN, and several of Venezuela's neighboring countries have questioned Maduro's claim to victory since the election data has not been fully disclosed.
