Edmundo González is a Venezuelan opposition politician and former ambassador. María Corina Machado, whom the regime blocked from seeking office, chose him as her stand-in candidate for the July 2024 presidential election. Millions who would have voted for her voted for him. He won 67% of the vote according to official voting-machine printouts, proved by thousands of original receipts collected by volunteers from almost every polling station. The regime's electoral authority did not declare his victory, instead concocting a win for Nicolás Maduro. Mr González went into exile.
After American forces captured Mr Maduro in January 2026, Donald Trump did not even mention Mr González, instead allowing Delcy Rodríguez, the vice-president, to take over as acting president.
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