Written by Vivian Sekera
LA VICTORIA, Venezuela (Reuters) – Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez said on Saturday he would guarantee freedom of action for all political parties if he ousted President Nicolas Maduro in elections scheduled for July, and urged the military to support the country's institutions as the president wants. the Constitution.
Gonzalez, a former ambassador to Algeria and Argentina, was appointed by the United Platform opposition coalition in April as its nominee after the Supreme Court upheld a ban on the position of overwhelming primary winner Maria Corina Machado.
The opposition said Machado's ban was illegal and represented an attempt by Maduro's government, which has overseen a deep economic crisis in the country, to limit support for the opposition in presidential elections scheduled for July 28.
Standing on a large truck, Gonzalez and Machado spoke to a cheering crowd of about 3,000 people in La Victoria, Gonzalez's hometown in the central state of Aragua.
Gonzalez said he would ensure that political movements can exercise their rights under the constitution, and urged voters to envision a country “in which the president does not insult his opponents and does not consider them enemies.”
“To the national armed forces, you play an essential role in the security of all of us, being guarantors of institutions under Article 328 of the Constitution,” Gonzalez, 74, said.
The little-publicized Gonzalez told Reuters this month that he believed Maduro's government would have prevented him from taking office now if it had intended to.
Machado called on voters to support Gonzalez, whom she describes as a “good and honest” man, and organized campaign events and waved large pictures of him.
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If the opposition fails to win the elections, its supporter, Marian Tesorero (22 years old), said: “I will leave the country. I cannot bear this anymore.”
Tesorero, who is finishing high school after having to stop it years ago for economic reasons, said she dreams of attending university and meeting her young niece, who was born abroad to her immigrant sister.
“We have to win because we want something better,” said Jennifer Escobar, 51, Tesorero’s mother. “There has to be change.”
Gonzalez will appear on the ballot on behalf of three opposition parties, while Maduro, who is seeking re-election for a third time, will represent 13 parties, including his Socialist Party.
Saul Cabrera, president of local consulting firm Consultants 21, said Machado and Gonzalez have shown chemistry, and that Machado's campaign with a photo of Gonzalez “is working.”
A recent poll conducted by the company showed that 50% of voters support Gonzalez, while 32% prefer Maduro. The poll's margin of error was 3.16%.
At a ruling party event in La Victoria, Socialist Party leader Diosdado Cabello said that the opposition's “deviant project against the country” would be defeated.