EDMUNDO GONZALEZ URRUTIA, THE DIPLOMAT WHO WILL CONFRONT MADURO
The opposition political forces in Venezuela have decided to nominate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as their main presidential candidate. This was informed on Friday night, April 19, by the leaders of the so-called Platafimra Unitaria Democrática (PUD).
“Edmundo González Urrutia was originally registered as a provisional candidate and today he becomes definitive candidate, he is already registered and his registration was admitted by the National Electoral Council and was not objected by anyone”, said Omar Barboza, general secretary of the alliance.
González Urrutia ends up being the candidate who will try to defeat Nicolás Maduro, the president-candidate of the ruling party, after the Venezuelan National Electoral Council prevented the registration of María Corina Machado, the candidate who had won widely in the opposition primary elections.
The CNE also did not allow the registration of Corina Yoris, whom Machado chose as her substitute. Machado and Yoris expressed their satisfaction for the designation of Gonzalez Urrutia as candidate. So did political leaders Henrique Capriles and Manuel Rosales, who had also registered to participate in the elections.
GONZÁLEZ URRUTIA, CAREER DIPLOMAT
According to the website Red de Noticias, Edmundo González graduated as an internationalist from the Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV) and in 1981 he obtained a master’s degree in international relations at the American University in Washington, United States.
González is a career diplomat and has held positions in the General Directorate of International Policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE) between 1994 and 1998. He also headed the Strategic Analysis and Planning Committee within the agency.
Between 1998 and 2002 he was Venezuela’s Ambassador to Argentina. Previously, between 1991 and 1993, he served as Venezuelan ambassador to Algeria.
The now opposition candidate is also alternate director and coordinator of the International System Monitoring Working Group of the Instituto de Estudios Parlamentarios Fermín Toro, together with other prominent Venezuelan lawyers and politicians.
Among other publications of his authorship, coordination or participation in recent years, the following stand out: Democracia, paz y desarrollo; Venezuela y Colombia: una relación de encuentros y desencuentros; Venezuela- Argentina: dos siglos de visiones compartidas; La lucha internacional contra la corrupción y sus repercusiones en Venezuela.
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This text, which is free to use, was provided by Red de Noticias, from Venezuela.
