Edmundo González facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Edmundo González
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
González in 2025
|
|
| Ambassador of Venezuela to Argentina |
|
| In office November 1998 – July 2002 |
|
| President | Rafael Caldera Hugo Chávez |
| Ambassador of Venezuela to Algeria |
|
| In office 1991–1993 |
|
| President | Carlos Andrés Pérez |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Edmundo González Urrutia
29 August 1949 La Victoria, Aragua, Venezuela |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations |
MUD (2013–2021) PU (since 2021) |
| Spouse |
Mercedes López
(m. 1973) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents | Pascual González Hilda Urrutia |
| Residences | Madrid, Spain |
| Alma mater | Central University of Venezuela American University |
| Occupation | Diplomat, politician |
| Awards | Sakharov Prize (2024) |
Edmundo González Urrutia (born 29 August 1949) is a Venezuelan politician and diplomat. He is known for his role in the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election. González was the main candidate for a group of opposition parties called the Unitary Platform.
After the election, the Venezuelan government announced that the current president, Nicolás Maduro, had won. However, many people and countries believed that González was the true winner. This led to a big political disagreement both inside Venezuela and around the world.
Some countries, like the United States and many in Europe and Latin America (such as Argentina and Peru), did not accept the official results. They recognized González as the winner. Other countries, including Russia, China, and Cuba, recognized Maduro as the winner.
Maduro stayed in power. An arrest warrant was later issued for González. He was given asylum in Spain and left Venezuela on 7 September 2024.
Before this, González worked as Venezuela's ambassador to Argentina and Algeria. An ambassador is a country's official representative in another country. He also writes for a newspaper called El Nacional. In December 2024, he received the Sakharov Prize along with María Corina Machado. This prize is given to people who defend human rights and freedom.
Contents
Early life and education
Edmundo González was born in La Victoria, Aragua, Venezuela, in 1949. His mother was a schoolteacher and his father owned a shop.
He studied international relations at the Central University of Venezuela. Later, he earned a Master's degree in international relations from the American University in the United States in 1981.
Diplomatic career
González started his career working for Venezuela's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He worked in different countries, including El Salvador and Belgium. In 1978, he was a first secretary for the Venezuelan Ambassador to the United States.
From 1991 to 1993, González was Venezuela's Ambassador to Algeria. He then worked as the Director General of International Policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1994 to 1999.
In November 1998, he became the ambassador to Argentina. While there, he worked to help Venezuela join Mercosur, a group of South American countries that work together on trade. His time as ambassador to Argentina ended in July 2002.
Political career
From 2013 to 2015, González was an international representative for the Venezuelan opposition's political group, the Democratic Unity Roundtable (UMD).
Later, in the 2020s, González became the president of the Unitary Platform. This is another important political group that opposes the government.
Presidential candidacy
Why he became a candidate
In 2024, María Corina Machado won the opposition's primary election to become their presidential candidate. However, the government said she could not hold public office. Another candidate, Corina Yoris, also faced problems and could not register. Because of this, Edmundo González was chosen to be the Unitary Platform's presidential candidate.
On 20 April, another major opposition candidate, Manuel Rosales, decided to step aside and support González. On 26 March 2024, the National Electoral Council confirmed González as a candidate for the 2024 presidential election.
His goals
In April 2024, González said that Venezuela needed to stop fighting. He believed everyone should work together to help Venezuela recover and change for the better. He saw his candidacy as a way to bring people together and help the country move towards democracy.
González stated he did not have personal ambitions to be president. He said his main goal was to "bring Venezuelans together." He also wanted to help political exiles return home. After that, he aimed to help the economy recover and bring back democracy. He still saw María Corina Machado as the main leader of the opposition.
Election results
Many news organizations, like The Sunday Times, reported that González was widely seen as the rightful winner of the election. However, the official results announced by the electoral authorities said Maduro won. This caused a big political problem in Venezuela.
Most countries in the Americas did not recognize Maduro as the winner. But countries like China, Russia, Iran, Cuba, and North Korea did.
Peru was one of the first countries to recognize González as Venezuela's president-elect on 30 July. The U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said there was "overwhelming evidence" that González won. Argentina, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama also recognized González's victory.
Maduro did not accept the results that showed him losing. He asked the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) to approve the results. The TSJ is made up of judges who support Maduro. On 22 August, the TSJ confirmed that Maduro had won the election.
Exile in Spain
On 2 September, an arrest warrant was issued for González. He was accused of several crimes. After the election, González secretly sought safety in the Dutch Embassy. Then he spent several days in the Spanish embassy in Caracas. He was granted asylum, which means he was given protection by Spain. He left Venezuela on a Spanish plane on 7 September 2024. His wife went with him to Madrid, where one of their daughters lives.
On 24 October, González and María Corina Machado were awarded the Sakharov Prize.
Political views
People have described González as a "centrist." This means his political ideas are usually in the middle, not too extreme. He has also been called "apolitical," meaning he focused on his diplomatic work rather than strong political opinions.
Attitude towards Maduro
During his time as a diplomat, González worked for different presidents, including Hugo Chávez and Carlos Andrés Pérez. Even though he later worked against the governments of Chávez and Maduro, his approach has been described as calm and willing to find solutions. While María Corina Machado wanted to prosecute those responsible for human rights abuses in the Maduro government, González has often supported talks with Maduro.
Personal life
González is married to Mercedes López de González. They have four grandchildren.
See also
In Spanish: Edmundo González para niños
