Edmundo González says he will take office as president of Venezuela on January 10 | International

Edmundo González Urrutia, the opposition leader who declared himself the winner of Venezuela’s controversial presidential elections on July 28 — a claim supported by voter tally sheets collected after the vote —, has reiterated his intent to return to the country and take office as president on January 10, 2025 — the scheduled date for the transfer of power. The Biden administration also remains confident that a political transition will take place on that day, according to sources within the White House.“We are fighting, raising our voices — the voices of all Venezuelans abroad,” González Urrutia declared, in what was perhaps one of his most direct statements about returning to Venezuela following his forced exile two months ago. In an interview with W Radio, he also revealed plans to embark on a tour across Latin America, though he did not specify the timeline or which countries he intends to visit.Typically cautious in his remarks, González Urrutia was unequivocal this time about his determination. He refrained from disclosing details about how he plans to re-enter Venezuela but emphasized: “Everyone is committed to ensuring Venezuela’s reconstruction begins on January 10. To do so, we are relying on the support and backing of every one of you, wherever you may be.”The political landscape has become increasingly tense since Donald Trump’s victory in the United States and, more notably, his appointment of Marco Rubio as Secretary of State. This development has fueled a new round of coded messages, threats, warnings, and appeals between Nicolás Maduro’s government and the opposition, signaling the gravity of the looming political shift. Washington’s recognition of González Urrutia as Venezuela’s legitimate president-elect has added yet another layer to these exchanges.After a period of relative silence, the rhetoric of opposition leadership — especially from María Corina Machado — has taken a notably resolute tone. The message being sent is that it is not willing to negotiate timelines with the ruling party. Machado, who shares a strong rapport and a similar outlook with Marco Rubio on Venezuela’s situation, appears committed to fully leveraging the political potential of international sanctions against the Maduro government. This approach has enraged Chavismo — the governing force — and unsettled some factions within the opposition itself. On Friday, the Venezuelan prosecutor’s office announced charges against Machado, accusing her of supporting a recent U.S. sanctions package targeting the regime.In a rare moment of bipartisan agreement, Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. reached consensus on the BOLIVAR Act, legislation that formalizes sanctions against Venezuela and imposes severe penalties on those engaging in business with the Maduro regime. Meanwhile, González Urrutia has pledged to return to Caracas, while Machado has called for a nationwide and international protest on December 1.Machado, along with Magalli Meda, a prominent leader of the opposition party Vente Venezuela, has urged Venezuelans to participate in a demonstration by painting their hands red — a symbol referencing the ongoing repression in the country. “We must act now. This December 1 will be a unique, unprecedented, and courageous protest,” Meda declared. “The world will turn its attention to the cause of a nation determined to fight to the end.”On social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), opposition figure Iván Simonovis — who was a political prisoner of the Chavista regime for over 15 years — and retired U.S. military officer Erik Prince have rallied behind the call for action, promoting hashtags warning of the regime’s impending downfall and referencing potential political negotiations for Maduro’s removal from power.Chavista leadership has responded to these declarations with escalating threats. On the same day as Meda’s announcement, authorities intensified surveillance around the Brazilian embassy in Caracas, where six prominent opposition leaders, including Meda, have taken refuge. Reports of police patrols, drone flyovers, and power outages at the embassy highlight the regime’s efforts to clamp down on dissent as the opposition ramps up its campaign for change.The Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), which maintains firm control over the National Assembly, is currently debating a law modeled after the U.S. Bolívar Act, similarly named the Liberador Simón Bolívar Act. This proposed legislation seeks to impose lifetime political disqualification and revoke the citizenship of individuals who have advocated for or facilitated international sanctions against Venezuela. The measures would include confiscating passports and stripping these individuals of their nationality.Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, has taken aim at opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia, calling him “that old coot” and claiming he “will spend the rest of his days abroad.” His sister, Delcy Rodríguez, vice president of Venezuela, echoed the hardline stance, asserting that within Chavismo, “nobody is willing to negotiate with fascism.”Diosdado Cabello, the regime’s second-in-command and Minister of the Interior and Justice, issued a particularly pointed warning, inviting González Urrutia to return to Venezuela via the Simón Bolívar International Airport: “We have a welcome committee ready for him; we’re polishing his handcuffs.” Nicolás Maduro himself, during a televised address, warned opposition figures not to “underestimate the strength of this revolution. Don’t try it — you will regret it.”In response, María Corina Machado has argued that such drastic measures by Chavismo signal not strength but weakness. Maduro, however, appears very sure that he will be inaugurated as president for another term on January 10.Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAÍS USA Edition