called Saturday for a new vote. The 76-year-old former diplomat, now exiled in Spain, voiced support for opposition leader María Corina Machado, who also wants fresh elections. This adds pressure on Venezuelan authorities and Washington amid growing calls for democratic transition. Maduro was captured in January by a US military raid and brought to New York on drug trafficking charges. His deputy, Delcy Rodríguez — elected in the same widely disputed 2024 vote — now leads the country, with the Trump administration content to keep her in power as she complies with their demands.

"A few days ago in Panama, María Corina Machado and Venezuela's democratic forces came together with a single goal: Venezuela's freedom," González Urrutia said in a video. "My commitment is to do everything in my power to ensure that mandate becomes real freedom, real democracy." Machado praised him as "an example of service and dedication to the homeland." She said Thursday she's determined to negotiate a democratic transition with Rodríguez and urged US help in restoring democracy. González Urrutia was a last-minute replacement for Machado in the July 2024 election after she was declared ineligible. The opposition calls the vote massively fraudulent and considers him the rightful winner. Maduro was declared victor by an electoral council that never released detailed results. Machado, considered a fugitive by the government, is accused of calling for foreign military intervention. (Bssnews)