Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González arrives in Guatemala

Guatemala.- Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia, who asserts victory in the disputed July 2024 presidential election, arrived in Guatemala on Tuesday as part of a broader tour seeking international backing for his return to Venezuela. González Urrutia landed at La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City after visiting the Dominican Republic. He is scheduled to meet with Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo de León on Wednesday, according to official sources.

Guatemala is the first country González Urrutia has visited since Nicolás Maduro began his new six-year term on January 10, a tenure marred by opposition accusations of electoral fraud. This visit marks the sixth stop in his regional tour, which has included Argentina, Uruguay, Panama, the United States, and the Dominican Republic. The Arévalo administration, which does not recognize Maduro’s re-election, previously held a virtual meeting with González Urrutia and Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.

The Guatemalan government reiterated its rejection of the July 28 election results, citing irregularities by Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE). González Urrutia, who arrived in Guatemala via a private plane and avoided public appearances, has accused Maduro of orchestrating a “coup d’état” against Venezuela’s Constitution and the people’s will. Despite the opposition’s claims of victory, the CNE declared Maduro the winner, deepening the country’s political crisis.