Santo Domingo.- Opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia, who asserts he won Venezuela’s July elections, expressed gratitude to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump for his support of the Venezuelan cause. González responded on social media to Trump’s statement emphasizing the need to protect him and fellow opposition leader María Corina Machado.
“Thank you, President-elect Trump! We Venezuelans know we can count on your determination regarding the Venezuelan cause,” González wrote on X. Trump, via Truth Social, described González and Machado as peaceful representatives of the Venezuelan people’s will and stressed that they “must remain safe and alive.” He also highlighted the strong backing of the Venezuelan-American community for a free Venezuela.
The crisis escalated after the opposition denounced the “kidnapping” and subsequent release of Machado, who had led a protest in Caracas. These events unfold as Nicolás Maduro prepares to assume another term on January 10, despite allegations of electoral fraud. González’s campaign claims to have gathered evidence proving his victory, which the Maduro regime dismisses as false.
González concluded his international tour in the Dominican Republic, seeking global support. He participated in meetings with Dominican President Luis Abinader and Grupo IDEA leaders and attended a rally in Santo Domingo as part of worldwide opposition protests.