Venezuela’s opposition candidate was forced to say Nicolas Maduro was the election winner in July. Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia released a video message on Wednesday claiming that the Maduro regime pressured him into signing a letter stating he lost the election.
“I had to either sign it or deal with the consequences,” Gonzalez said on X on Wednesday.
The country’s presidential election has been mired in controversy ever since Maduro, the incumbent, was declared the winner by the country’s National Electoral Council. Gonzalez has been widely considered the real election winner, as tallies reportedly showed Gonzalez with more votes than Maduro. However, Maduro has refused to cede power, and after weeks of protests throughout Venezuela, Gonzalez was forced to flee the country. He is now residing in Spain, where he was granted asylum.
Gonzalez detailed the precarious situation the Maduro regime forced on him. He recalled fearing for his life and explained that if he did not sign a letter admitting defeat, there would be problems.
In the letter, Gonzalez said he respected the National Electoral Council’s decision to declare Maduro the winner. The letter was addressed to National Assembly leader Jorge Rodriguez with a date of Sept. 7, according to reports.
Gonzalez categorized the letter as a compromised statement caused by “coercion,” multiple outlets reported. He explained that signing the letter under duress was part of a strategy that would ensure his safety, which would be more beneficial to the political movement against Maduro than if he was held in custody as a political prisoner.
“There were very tense hours of coercion, blackmail, and pressure,” Gonzalez said.
“At that point, I considered I could be of more use free than if I were imprisoned,” he said.
After Gonzalez’s statement was released, Rodriguez, a political ally of Maduro, claimed Gonzalez’s letter was genuine and that the former presidential candidate wrote his signature on his own accord without any threats or pressure.
“If you signed under pressure, how is it that one of your daughters still lives in Venezuela peacefully, with her family, as regular Venezuelans?” Rodriguez said.
Additionally, Rodriguez threatened to make recordings of conversations with Gonzalez public, which would supposedly refute Gonzalez’s claims. Rodriguez said he would give Gonzalez 24 hours to retract his assertions.
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Despite these threats, it does not appear Gonzalez is planning to do so.
In his video message on X, he referred to himself as the “president elected of millions and millions of Venezuelans who voted for change, democracy, and peace.” He vowed to uphold that pledge and “fulfill that mandate.”
