LA VICTORIA, Venezuela (AP) 鈥 The presidential candidate of Venezuela鈥檚 chief opposition coalition on Saturday sought to cultivate a mood of hope and possibility in a large rally that marked the start of a campaign he admittedly never imagined leading.
, the former diplomat chosen by the coalition to replace the fiery leader on the ballot, drew thousands of supporters to the streets of La Victoria, his hometown.
He urged them to imagine a country where public services are not a luxury, and millions will return after having migrated throughout a decade in search of better economic opportunities.
鈥淚 guarantee a peaceful alternation in which all political forces will be able to exercise their rights within the framework of the constitution,鈥 Gonz谩lez said, addressing an audience of retirees, young adults and residents of the capital who traveled to see him and locals of the once-thriving industrial city.
"I want to call on all Venezuelans to join me in a peaceful and orderly change of government. We will move from division to unity, from abuse by a few to the rule of law for all, and from this undignified present to a dignified future for all.鈥
Gonz谩lez was joined on stage by Machado, whose candidacy for the July 28 election was barred by the government of President . The crowd cheered for both under sweltering temperatures. Street vendors sold T-shirts and baseball caps promoting the duo for $10. Venezuelan flags were also on sale.
Gonz谩lez is the third candidate that the Unitary Platform opposition coalition has promoted as its own this year.
Machado, a former lawmaker, entered 2024 as the group鈥檚 candidate after easily winning an October presidential primary, but a top court loyal to Venezuela鈥檚 ruling party affirmed in January an administrative decision to ban her from office. She appointed a substitute in March 鈥 former academic Corina Yoris 鈥 but she, too, was barred from the ballot. Four days later, .
La Victoria resident Maria Contreras, 75, arrived 4 1/2 hours early to the street where Saturday鈥檚 rally was expected to take place. She waved at some acquaintances as they slowly began to arrive, most on foot, to catch a glimpse of Machado and Gonz谩lez, whose mother was Contreras鈥 fourth-grade teacher.
鈥淲e will achieve it! I have faith in God, and I ask him for this, on my knees, every day so that my grandchildren and children can return,鈥 Contreras, a retired secretary, said. 鈥淚 came here alone and on an empty stomach. It鈥檚 horrible what happened to this community.鈥
Contreras said she cleans homes in exchange for food. Her $3 a month pension does not allow her to even buy a kilogram of cheese or a 1-liter bottle of cooking oil.
La Victoria, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Caracas, was once home to an auto assembly plant, a glass making company and other industrial facilities. But those shut down, and the city鈥檚 streets are lined with boarded up businesses, including an auto dealership and restaurants.
Gonz谩lez began his career as an aide to Venezuela鈥檚 ambassador in the U.S. in the late 1970s. He had postings in Belgium and El Salvador and served as Caracas鈥 ambassador to Algeria.
His last post was as ambassador to Argentina during the first years of the presidency of Hugo Ch谩vez, who came to power in 1999. Ch谩vez transformed Venezuela with socialist policies like nationalizing industries and launching welfare programs. Ch谩vez handpicked Maduro to replace him before dying of cancer in 2013.
More recently, Gonz谩lez worked as an international relations consultant and wrote a historical work on Venezuela during World War II.
Gonz谩lez, surrounded by Machado, his wife, sister-in-law and a daughter, told the crowd in La Victoria that he needed to confess to them that , but that he agreed to become the Unitary Platform鈥檚 candidate to move Venezuela 鈥渙ne step forward.鈥
鈥淟et鈥檚 imagine for a moment the country that is coming,鈥 he told the cheering audience with a bit more energy than his usual subdued tone characteristic of a diplomat. 鈥淎 country in which the president does not insult or see his adversaries as enemies. A country where when you get home from work you know that your money has value, that when you turn on the switch there will be electricity, that when you turn on the faucet there will be water.鈥
But it did not match , who practically crowd-surfed to reach the stage Saturday.
President Maduro is . His presidency has been marked by a complex crisis that pushed millions of people into poverty and .
Many of those gathered Saturday in La Victoria loudly rejected the president, whose party again held a rally on the same day and community as the opposition coalition.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want a bag!鈥 some chanted referring to a bag of subsided food the government hands out to people. 鈥淲hat I want is for Nicol谩s to leave!鈥
