Venezuelan opposition leader to meet with Biden during US visit

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
5 Jan 2025 09:33

This comes just days before Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is set to begin his third term.

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The Venezuela opposition presidential candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, waves to supporters during a political event in June (AP)

Venezuelan opposition politician Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who fled the country following an arrest warrant, revealed on Saturday that he plans to speak with outgoing US President Joe Biden.

Speaking from Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he met with President Javier Milei, Gonzalez Urrutia mentioned that he was traveling to the US on Sunday, though the exact timing of his conversation with Biden remained unclear.

"We are planning a conversation with President Biden and we are waiting for details regarding the new authorities," he said, referring to the incoming US administration under President Donald Trump, set to take office on January 20.

Gonzalez Urrutia’s meeting with Milei marked the beginning of a regional tour aimed at garnering international support for what Venezuela's opposition regards as the legitimate president-elect.

The 75-year-old opposition figure stood alongside Milei on a balcony at the Casa Rosada, Argentina’s presidential palace, as hundreds of Venezuelans gathered in the Plaza de Mayo below, chanting, "Venezuela, you are not alone!"

Milei echoed the sentiment, declaring, "Argentina will not be complicit in silence in the face of the injustices and abuses of the Maduro regime."

The visit came just days before Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is set to be sworn in for a third term in Caracas.

The US, European Union, and many other countries have condemned the July 28 election results, accusing Venezuelan officials of manipulating the vote, which they have yet to fully disclose.

Some nations have recognized Gonzalez Urrutia as the rightful winner, while Maduro retains recognition from a handful of others, including Russia.

Living in exile

Gonzalez Urrutia, who has been living in exile in Madrid since fleeing Venezuela in September, quietly arrived in Buenos Aires. Caracas authorities have placed a $100,000 bounty on information leading to his capture.

The unrest following the election led to street protests, which escalated into violent clashes with police, resulting in 28 deaths, 200 injuries, and over 2,400 arrests.

The opposition politician will continue his travels, heading to Panama on Wednesday and the Dominican Republic the following day. He is scheduled to be in Caracas on January 10 for his planned presidential swearing-in. The response from the Maduro government remains uncertain.

His visit to Argentina came amid rising tensions between the two nations after the arrest of an Argentine police officer in Venezuela, on charges that Buenos Aires claims are fabricated. This incident added to existing strains following Argentina’s refusal to recognize Maduro’s re-election.

Gonzalez Urrutia stated that he would discuss the matter of six opposition figures accused of "terrorism", who are currently seeking refuge in the Argentine embassy in Caracas, with Milei.

After Argentina, Gonzalez Urrutia traveled to Montevideo on Saturday afternoon to meet with Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou and Foreign Minister Omar Paganini. During their discussion, Gonzalez Urrutia presented Lacalle with a copy of the electoral records that the Venezuelan opposition argues prove their victory.