Venezuelan opposition figure Edmundo González Urrutia, who claims to be the rightful winner of the 2024 presidential election against Nicolás Maduro, has called for a new national vote. The 76-year-old former diplomat, now exiled in Spain, made the appeal on Saturday, expressing support for fellow opposition leader and Nobel laureate María Corina Machado, who also demands a fresh election. Several countries, including the United States, had recognized González as the legitimate winner, according to AFP.

Following a U.S. military operation in January that removed Maduro from power, his deputy Delcy Rodríguez assumed leadership of Venezuela. The 2024 election, widely dismissed by opposition groups and many nations as fraudulent, had declared Rodríguez the winner. The U.S. administration under President Donald Trump reportedly accepted her rule due to her cooperation with Washington’s demands.

González’s renewed call for elections adds pressure on both Venezuelan authorities and Washington to support a democratic transition. Machado, also in exile and labeled a fugitive by Caracas, praised González’s commitment and reiterated her determination to negotiate a democratic path forward with Rodríguez, urging U.S. assistance in the process.