The Fight Goes on in Venezuela

Edmundo González Urrutia, the real winner of Venezuela’s presidential election in July, has decided to go into exile in Spain, disheartening many Venezuelans. For many, he was the last hope of halting the country’s descent into chaos. According to official tallies obtained and published by the opposition, González secured nearly seventy percent of the vote. However, he was forced to spend weeks holed up in the Dutch embassy after his victory.

Meanwhile, the regime led by Nicolás Maduro killed, arrested, and tortured scores of protestors. An arrest warrant was issued against González, accusing him of conspiracy, falsifying documents, and usurpation of powers. These charges were clearly intended to force him into exile.

Facing immense pressure to leave, including from foreign governments that he had once denounced, González ultimately accepted asylum in Spain. His family, along with hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans, had already fled there in recent years.

It is difficult to blame the seventy-five-year-old diplomat for choosing exile. From abroad, González can freely provide moral leadership for the millions of Venezuelans seeking to reclaim their country. In exile, he will be free to communicate with governments, international organizations, and the media—freedoms that would be impossible to exercise inside Venezuela. Still, it is discouraging to note that nearly two months after the election, Maduro maintains enough control over the military and the ability to intimidate civilians to make any immediate change seem unlikely. However, Venezuela’s freedom fighters can take solace in several developments.

First, the real leader of the resistance movement is not González but María Corina Machado, the country’s most popular politician. Machado’s vision, courage, and strategic brilliance have made her one of Latin America’s preeminent leaders. While González bravely ran as her stand-in candidate when she was banned from running, González’s age, temperament, and background do not position him as the leader of internal resistance in Venezuela. That is Machado’s role, and she has made it clear that she has no intention of accepting the political asylum offers she has received. During a recent conversation with me, she publicly reaffirmed her commitment to remain in Venezuela.

Moreover, González’s status as the real winner, something recognized in all but name by dozens of governments and international organizations, will allow him to be an influential voice on the global stage. The tandem González-Machado will continue to represent Venezuela’s best hope for the future.

González’s diplomatic work will also have an impact inside Venezuela. Ultimately, the only path forward is a negotiated transition, which will occur once Maduro and his notorious Interior Minister, Diosdado Cabello—linked to drug cartels—lose control of the military and paramilitary forces. This shift will only happen when the men in uniform decide that supporting the regime is more costly than accepting Machado and González’s offer of a peaceful transition, free of revenge.

To bring this about, the military and paramilitary apparatus must see the regime’s isolation as definitive and irreversible. Here, González can play a major role. Maduro and Cabello recognize this and are increasingly nervous. This is why recently they detained some foreign nationals, including a U.S. Navy Seal and several Spaniards, accusing them of plotting to kill the dictator and overthrow the government.

Meanwhile, Machado will continue to rally those brave enough to risk everything for freedom inside Venezuela. These freedom fighters are not few, and they certainly will not “go gentle into that good night.”