Until April 21, the name of Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia was unknown inside and outside Venezuela. After Maria Corina Machado and Corina Yoris were unable to register their candidacies for the presidency, The 74-year-old diplomat agreed that day to be the standard-bearer of the largest opposition blocthe Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), and face Nicolás Maduro in next Sunday’s elections.
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A clear favorite in the polls, El Mercurio de Chile, a partner of the Grupo de Diarios América (GDA), interviewed him.
Why did you agree to run for president against a government like the Chavista one?
It was an absolutely unexpected situation for me. I have not participated in public politics, much less in partisan politics for many years, perhaps during my years as a university student, but beyond that, no. I accepted it as a commitment, a personal challenge of mine and a contribution to Venezuelan democracy.
More than 100 people from your campaign have been arrested, and Machado has denounced an attempt at sabotage. How are you dealing with this increase in harassment from Chavismo?
These are manifestations of desperation from those who feel already defeated and that defeat is on their backs.
First of all, these are manifestations of desperation by those who feel they have already been defeated and that defeat is on their backs. Secondly, it is a very, very delicate situation, because this is an attempt on the life of a political leader who is on the front line and who is a leader of the political process in Venezuela.
There is a change of tone in the opposition: there is no longer talk of sending the Chavista leadership to jail or into exile. Is some kind of amnesty possible for Maduro and his people?
I believe that tempers flare in the days leading up to the election. We have constantly called for tolerance, peace, and reconciliation among Venezuelans. And we will reaffirm this on election day, and once we have achieved victory, we can focus on reconstruction and national reconciliation.
Why do you think Maduro and the Chavista leadership would acknowledge an eventual defeat and leave power?
If we are playing by democratic rules, there is no doubt that they have to recognize the election results. And the international community will play a very important role, because it is not the same thing for them to say this alone than to have to say it in front of an international community that will be very, very attentive to what happens that day. No one will dare to twist the results with the presence of important figures from the international community and a good number of international media.
The international community disavowed the 2018 presidential election, but Maduro remained in power. Why would it be any different now?
The figures used in all the opinion polls, including those ordered by the government itself, give a very clear and overwhelming advantage in favor of our candidacy, and I doubt that they can change those results just a few days before the election.
Do you have contacts with the military world thinking about your eventual triumph and considering that the FAN is perhaps the main supporter of the Chavista regime?
For several years now, we have had a representative in the dialogue commissions with the opposition and the government. That delegate is Dr. Gerardo Blyde. So we trust that whatever happens, he will be at the forefront.
If Maduro wins, do you fear a new wave of migration?
Yes, situations that nobody wants could arise, such as the departure of another large wave of Venezuelans from the country.
It is very delicate because, indeed, even if the results seem not to be going in that direction, because all the opinion polls give us a wide advantage, otherwise, situations that nobody wants could be precipitated, such as the departure of another good wave of Venezuelans from the country.
What responsibility does Maduro have in the emergence of criminal groups such as the ‘Tren de Aragua’?
All this criminality is the product of the same stampede situation that has occurred with many Venezuelans and that has led to the number of Venezuelans living abroad today being close to 8 million, and that number includes individuals who are not the majority and do not represent the feelings of Venezuelans.
Given the situation you describe, the recomposition of the social fabric seems complex…
One of the most difficult tasks is to rebuild the social fabric that has been destroyed. The economy and the country’s institutions have been destroyed. We hope that as soon as we come to power we can launch a massive welcome program for Venezuelans who are abroad and that this will gradually help us to rebuild and re-institutionalize the country.
In that scenario, do you think that the foreign investment that has left would return to Venezuela?
With a new government that makes decisions based on very specific situations, I have no doubt that investments will return and that the reconstruction of Venezuela will be on the right track.
Gaspar Ramirez – El Mercurio (Chile)
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