BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA — Venezuelan opposition politician Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who fled the country after a tumultuous election and subsequent police crackdown, announced on Saturday his intention to speak with U.S. President Joe Biden.
While in Argentina, where he met with President Javier Milei, Gonzalez confirmed he plans to travel to the United States on Sunday, although the timing of his conversation with Biden remains unclear.
“We are planning a conversation with President Biden, and we are waiting for definitions regarding the new authorities,” Gonzalez stated in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, referring to the incoming President-elect Donald Trump, who is set to take over on January 20.
Gonzalez’s meeting with Milei marks the beginning of a regional tour aimed at garnering international support for what Venezuela’s opposition considers the rightful president-elect.
The 75-year-old politician appeared alongside Milei on a balcony at the Casa Rosada, the official workplace of the Argentine president, as hundreds of Venezuelans gathered below in the Plaza de Mayo, chanting, “Venezuela, you are not alone!” This appearance comes just days before Gonzalez’s rival, Nicolas Maduro, is scheduled to be sworn in for a third presidential term in Caracas.
The United States, the European Union, and numerous other countries have asserted that Venezuelan election officials manipulated the vote results from the July 28 elections, which have yet to be published in detail. Some nations have instead recognized Gonzalez as the election’s winner.
Gonzalez quietly arrived in Buenos Aires from Madrid, where he has lived in exile since fleeing Venezuela in September. Authorities in Caracas have placed a $100,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
Following the election, street protests erupted, leading to clashes with police, resulting in 28 fatalities, 200 injuries, and over 2,400 arrests.
Gonzalez’s itinerary includes visits to Uruguay late Saturday, Panama on Wednesday, and the Dominican Republic the day after. He has indicated he will be in Caracas on January 10 to take the presidential oath. It remains uncertain how the Maduro government will respond.
Gonzalez’s visit to Argentina occurs amidst heightened bilateral tensions following the arrest of an Argentine policeman in Venezuela on what Buenos Aires describes as trumped-up terrorism charges. The relationship has already been strained due to an exchange of insults and Argentina’s refusal to recognize Maduro’s victory claim.
The Argentine Embassy in Caracas is also sheltering six opposition figures accused of terrorism, a matter Gonzalez has indicated he would address with Milei.
