'We Will Put An End To This Nightmare And We Will All Return With Joy', Edmundo González Urrutia Tells Venezuelans In Panama

(MENAFN- Newsroom Panama) During a meeting with the Venezuelan community living in Panama, Edmundo González Urrutia, leader of the opposition in Venezuela, stated that“they will put an end to this nightmare and we will all return with joy to our homeland.” His statements are part of the rejection of what will happen Friday, January 10, when Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is scheduled to assume his third term in office in the South American country. Hours earlier, González recalled that on July 28 he obtained a resounding electoral victory against the tyranny, with almost 40 points of advantage.“The electoral records collected and published are the basis of the legitimacy as the new ruler of Venezuela.” The event with the Venezuelan community in Panama, held at the Atlapa convention center, included the presentation of a video with a message from María Corina Machado (pictured below), opposition leader, who expressed that“today Venezuelans are facing the greatest challenge of our lives.”

González Urrutia also shared the stories of several young people in exile who have come to him seeking support to return to a“free Venezuela.”
The opposition leader is visiting Panama as part of his tour of several countries on the continent, including the United States, the Dominican Republic and pictured below in Argentina.

Venezuela's opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, center right, and Argentine President Javier Milei hold hands from the government house balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025.

Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha announced that Panama will not limit itself to raising its voice at events such as the one held Wednesday.
He said that the country's designation as a member of the United Nations Security Council for the period 2025-2026 places the State in a“privileged” position when it comes to helping Venezuela remain very important on the United Nations agenda.
He also revealed that the records of the July 28 elections in Venezuela, which gave the victory to the opposition candidate González Urrutia, will be kept
in a vault at the
National Bank of Panama.

Edmundo González Urrutia: 'Popular Sovereignty is Non-Negotiable'

Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia said on Wednesday, January 8, that he will continue his fight to ensure that the sovereignty of the Venezuelan people is respected, which he spoke of in the elections of July last year. “Popular sovereignty is non-negotiable,” he said at an event organized by the Panamanian Foreign Ministry at the Atlapa Convention Center in Panama City. He claimed victory in the presidential elections of July 28, 2024 and reiterated that there are records that prove it. In front of a group of former presidents of Latin American countries and foreign ministers from the region who attended the event, González Urrutia asked for support to put an end to“the dictatorship in Venezuela, to this tyranny that oppresses the Venezuelan people.” González Urrutia is in Panama as part of an international tour just days before his inauguration ceremony. However, Nicolás Maduro has announced that he will take office for a new term on January 10 and stated that if Edmundo returns to Venezuela, he will be immediately arrested. Below are the Venezuelan records that document the election win by Edmundo and Maria that will be left in Panama until they can be safely returned to Venezuela.

32 Former Presidents Support the Sovereignty of the Venezuelan People who Elected Edmundo González Urrutia as President

Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia greets former Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso during a rally in support of the president on Wednesday at the Atlantic Pacific Convention Center in Panama City (Panama). The former leaders of Latin America signed the Panama Declaration of the IDEA Group, the Democratic Initiative of Spain and the Americas, which calls for honoring the Venezuelan constitution and defending democracy in that country.

Panama was the setting for the reading of the declaration on popular sovereignty and the recognition of the president-elect of Venezuela, Edmundo González Urrutia, by the IDEA Group, the Democratic Initiative of Spain and the Americas. The document signed by 32 former presidents of Latin America and Spain was read on the afternoon of Wednesday, January 8, by former president Mireya Moscoso, during the rally that was held with the presence of several former presidents and the leader of the Venezuelan opposition and president-elect Edmundo González Urrutia and a large part of the Venezuelan community residing in Panama at the Anayansi Theater, at the Atlapa Convention Center. The document reaffirms the recognition of the will expressed by the Venezuelan people in the presidential elections of July 28, as recorded in the authentic voting records kept by the democratic opposition and verified by international technical institutions, which affirm that González Urrutia is the president-elect. In addition, it is noted that the president-elect is expected to assume his presidential mandate for the constitutional six-year term that begins on January 10, 2025, and they confirm that several former presidents will be present at this event and so will Maria pictured below, who remains in hiding in Venezuela. January 10th will indeed be an interesting day in Venezuela if the two factions come face to face.

The IDEA Group's Panama declaration states that“the Venezuelan people, in a decisive manner and in an unprecedented majority, have decided on a change of political direction and their desire to grow in freedom, following the sovereign mandate that has been dictated and all the powers of the State, especially the National Armed Forces, are obliged to obey.” The former presidents hope that the Venezuelan Constitution and the popular sovereignty of that country will be fully respected. Earlier, former Colombian President Andrés Pastrana raised his voice to reaffirm the fight for freedom in Venezuela and questioned the position of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who has not yet taken a firm position against the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro. Jorge 'Tito? Quiroga, former president of Bolivia, also expressed his support for the democratic people of Venezuela and for Edmundo González Urrutia. Former Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso said that the records are a faithful testimony of the popular will of the Venezuelan people who wanted a complete change.“The real vote is in these records,” said Moscoso. According to the minutes, former Mexican President Vicente Fox was also present in Panama at the event in support of Venezuela's president-elect, Edmundo González Urrutia.

MENAFN08012025000218011062ID1109070622