Maduro’s biggest threat
Four months ago, most Venezuelans had no idea who Edmundo González was. Now, his campaign poses the biggest threat to Nicolás Maduro's plan to win a third presidential term on Sunday after 11 years in power.
The 74-year-old former diplomat was thrust onto the national stage in March after better-known opposition figures were effectively barred from running. He became a proxy to María Corina Machado, the winner of last year's primaries who was rapidly gaining support among Venezuelans until Maduro firmly shut the door on her.
Since then, Machado and her stand-in-candidate have been campaigning against all odds. She says she can't appear on TV or radio stations. Power outages often interrupt her scheduled appearances. The venues she visits are fined or shut down. Those who help her are persecuted, or even imprisoned.
The government has gone as far as drilling gaping potholes into roads to stop her followers from reaching her events.
The oppressive tactics have only fueled fervor among Machado's supporters, who dream of rebuilding an economy that has suffered one of the deepest recessions in modern history, and eventually reunite families that have been torn apart by the exodus of 7.7 million Venezuelans under Maduro.
Machado's surprising resilience can perhaps be matched only by that of Maduro himself.
The successor of the late Hugo Chavez has withstood crippling US sanctions meant to weaken his government and prevailed over Juan Guaidó, who sought to unseat him after being recognized in 2019 as the legitimate president of Venezuela by the US and dozens of allied nations. More recently, Maduro has even tried to soften his despot image by launching a charm offensive on social media.
What explains Machado's rise is her unique character among establishment politicians — and timing. Fed-up voters are looking for the opposite of Maduro, and she has consistently been that, preaching for years about undoing state controls and privatizing the oil industry. Venezuelans have grown tired of government handouts, and are starting to believe change is within reach.
How far Machado and González can go is ultimately up to Maduro — if the unofficial duo win a majority of votes, he will have to consider the costs of disregarding the election outcome and clinging to power for longer. — Patricia Laya and Nicolle Yapur
The 74-year-old former diplomat was thrust onto the national stage in March after better-known opposition figures were effectively barred from running. He became a proxy to María Corina Machado, the winner of last year's primaries who was rapidly gaining support among Venezuelans until Maduro firmly shut the door on her.
Since then, Machado and her stand-in-candidate have been campaigning against all odds. She says she can't appear on TV or radio stations. Power outages often interrupt her scheduled appearances. The venues she visits are fined or shut down. Those who help her are persecuted, or even imprisoned.
The government has gone as far as drilling gaping potholes into roads to stop her followers from reaching her events.
Maria Corina Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader, greets attendees during a rally in San Cristobal on June 28. Photographer: Ferley Ospina/Bloomberg
The oppressive tactics have only fueled fervor among Machado's supporters, who dream of rebuilding an economy that has suffered one of the deepest recessions in modern history, and eventually reunite families that have been torn apart by the exodus of 7.7 million Venezuelans under Maduro.
Machado's surprising resilience can perhaps be matched only by that of Maduro himself.
The successor of the late Hugo Chavez has withstood crippling US sanctions meant to weaken his government and prevailed over Juan Guaidó, who sought to unseat him after being recognized in 2019 as the legitimate president of Venezuela by the US and dozens of allied nations. More recently, Maduro has even tried to soften his despot image by launching a charm offensive on social media.
What explains Machado's rise is her unique character among establishment politicians — and timing. Fed-up voters are looking for the opposite of Maduro, and she has consistently been that, preaching for years about undoing state controls and privatizing the oil industry. Venezuelans have grown tired of government handouts, and are starting to believe change is within reach.
How far Machado and González can go is ultimately up to Maduro — if the unofficial duo win a majority of votes, he will have to consider the costs of disregarding the election outcome and clinging to power for longer. — Patricia Laya and Nicolle Yapur
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