The struggle in Venezuela continues

Edmundo González Urrutia, the real winner of Venezuela’s presidential elections in July, has decided go into exile in Spain, which discouraged many Venezuelans. For many, he was the last hope to stop the country’s slide into chaos. According to official counts obtained and published by the opposition, González managed almost seventy percent of the vote. However, after his victory he had to be locked up in the Dutch embassy for weeks.

Meanwhile, the regime led by Nicolás Maduro killed, arrested and tortured dozens of protesters.An arrest warrant was issued for González, accusing him of conspiracy, falsification of documents and abuse of power. These charges were clearly meant to force him into exile.

Opposite enormous pressure to leaveGonzález eventually accepted asylum in Spain, even from foreign governments he had once condemned. His family, along with hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans, had already fled there in recent years.

It’s hard to fault the 75-year-old diplomat for choosing exile. From abroad, González can offer free moral leadership to the millions of Venezuelans who want to take back their country. In exile, he will be free to communicate with governments, international organizations and the media — freedoms that would be impossible to exercise in Venezuela. Still, it’s disheartening to note that nearly two months after the election, Maduro retains enough control over the military and the ability to intimidate citizens to make any immediate change seem unlikely. Venezuela’s freedom fighters can take comfort in several developments, however.

First, the real leader of the resistance movement is not González, but María Corina Machado, the country’s most popular politician. Machado’s vision, courage, and strategic genius have made her one of Latin America’s most prominent leaders. While González bravely participated as its leader, stand-in candidate when she was banned of running, González’s age, temperament and background do not position him as the leader of Venezuela’s internal resistance. That is Machado’s role, and she has made it clear that she has no intention of accepting the offers of political asylum she has received. In a recent conversation with me, she publicly reaffirmed her commitment to staying in Venezuela.

Moreover, González is status as the real winnersomething recognized in everything but name by dozens of governments and international organizations, will allow him to be an influential voice on the world stage. The González-Machado duo will continue to represent Venezuela’s best hope for the future.

González’s diplomatic work will also have an impact inside Venezuela. Ultimately, the only way forward is a negotiated transition, which will happen once Maduro and his notorious interior minister, Diosdado Cabello—linked to drug cartels—lose control of the military and paramilitary forces. This shift will only occur if the men in uniform decide that supporting the regime is more costly than accepting Machado and González’s offer of a peaceful transition, without revenge.

To achieve this, the military and paramilitary apparatus must consider the isolation of the regime as definitive and irreversible. González can play an important role here. Maduro and Cabello recognize this and are becoming increasingly nervous. This is the reason why they recently a number of foreigners arrestedincluding an American Navy Seal and several Spaniards, accusing them of plotting to assassinate the dictator and overthrow the government.

In the meantime, Machado will continue to mobilize those brave enough to risk everything for freedom in Venezuela. These freedom fighters are not few, and they will certainly not “go quietly into that good night.”