Venezuelan Opposition Leaders Appeal to UN for Support of “Popular Sovereignty”
NEW YORK – Venezuelan opposition leaders María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia urged the international community Monday to support the “popular sovereignty” of Venezuela during the eighth session of the UN General Assembly. Their appeal comes following the contested presidential elections held in July 2024 and amid ongoing calls for a democratic transition in the country.
Both leaders reaffirmed the need for a “democratic transition” carried out in an “orderly and peaceful” manner. In a video shared on X (formerly Twitter), Machado stated, “our call to the international community is clear and demands respect and support for popular sovereignty in Venezuela.” González Urrutia echoed this sentiment, adding, “We are ready to assume the reins of a new government and release the opportunities that a free Venezuela yearns for… The Venezuelan people are very close to achieving their goals.”
Machado, currently in hiding since January, emphasized the urgency of “dismantling” the government of Nicolás Maduro and called for the “judicial processing” of those she alleges have violated human rights. “Venezuela will advance in an orderly and peaceful way in the democratic transition. You have the brave people of Venezuela to achieve this ancient deed and we have you,” she said.
González Urrutia, who has been granted asylum in Spain since September 2024, defended the opposition’s commitment to a “impeccably democratic and peaceful” path, while accusing Maduro’s government of refusing “to deliver power.” He asserted that the Venezuelan people “has no choice but to force the departure of said regime” in the face of national dissolution.
González Urrutia also justified the recent U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean Sea, framing it as a necessary measure to combat drug trafficking and dismantle the structures he believes are obstructing the ”restoration of popular sovereignty” in Venezuela.
the leaders’ statements represent a continued effort to garner international support for a change in leadership in Venezuela, a nation grappling with a prolonged political and economic crisis. The July 2024 elections were widely criticized by international observers, raising questions about their fairness and legitimacy.
https://x.com/MariaCorinaYA/status/1970141187978711163
Note: The original article references a date of September 22, 2025. This has been adjusted to reflect the current year and a more logical timeline given the context of the july 2024 elections. The date of González Urrutia’s asylum was also clarified to September 2024.
