The president-elect of Venezuela, Edmundo González, met with Milei before traveling to the US for his meeting with Biden

Venezuela's president-elect, Edmundo González Urrutia, made two important stopovers as part of his international tour on Saturday, consolidating key support in the region before his inauguration on January 10. In Argentina, he met with President Javier Milei, while in Uruguay he spoke with President Luis Lacalle Pou.

Strategic meeting at the Casa Rosada

In Buenos Aires, González Urrutia was received at the Casa Rosada by President Javier Milei, who reiterated his support to the Venezuelan leader as a symbol of the struggle for democracy in the region. Thousands of Venezuelans living in Argentina, a community of more than 200,000 people, gathered in the Plaza de Mayo to support González and celebrate the meeting.

During the meeting, both leaders discussed regional issues such as democratic stabilization and the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. They also addressed the case of the Argentine police officer Nahuel Gallo, detained by the Chavista regime, which has been labeled by the Organization of American States (OAS) as a crime against humanity.

Milei was forceful in his rejection of Nicolas Maduro's dictatorship and highlighted Argentina's commitment to freedom and human rights. "Argentina will not be complicit in silence in the face of the injustices of the Maduro regime. Our position is clear: freedom, justice and democracy for all Venezuelans," he said.

Support in Uruguay

Hours later, González Urrutia arrived in Montevideo, where he was received by President Luis Lacalle Pou and Foreign Minister Omar Paganini. In this meeting, the president-elect handed over the minutes certifying his victory in the July 28 elections, considered legitimate by several international organizations.

Chancellor Paganini ratified Uruguay's recognition of Gonzalez as president-elect and dismissed the maneuvers of Nicolas Maduro's regime. "It is increasingly clear that [Edmundo González] won the July 28 elections (...) Uruguay continues to ask that the regime of Nicolás Maduro accept a path of transition to democracy (...) We understand that there is a dictatorship and (...) the swearing in of Maduro has no value," he said.

Next destinations: United States and Central America.

In a press conference following his meeting with Milei, González Urrutia announced that he will travel tonight to the United States, where he will meet with President Joe Biden. The dialogue is expected to address the recognition of his government and measures to pressure the Chavista regime  into accepting a democratic transition.

In addition, the president-elect announced that on January 8 he will meet with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino and that on January 9 he will visit the Dominican Republic for talks with President Luis Abinader.

Promise of return

From exile in Spain, Gonzalez Urrutia promised to return to Venezuela to assume power, backed by the results of the July 28 elections. Despite facing an arrest warrant and a $100,000 reward issued by Nicolás Maduro's regime, the president-elect made this strategic international tour in order to strengthen alliances and legitimize his leadership.

With the backing of leaders such as Milei, Lacalle Pou and soon Biden, Gonzalez is positioning himself as a key player in the fight for democracy in Venezuela, promising not to rest until he sees a change in his country.