Expert Available: Venezuela’s Opposition Leader, Likely Winner of Presidential Election, Seeks Asylum in Spain

WASHINGTON (September 9, 2024) – Edmundo González, the Venezuela opposition leader who was likely the winner of Venezuela’s presidential election, fled to Spain and was granted asylum over the weekend. His departure comes after Venezuelan strongman President Nicolás Maduro declared himself the winner of July’s election, violent clashes broke out around the South American country, and Venezuela’s attorney general’s office issued an arrest warrant for Gonzalez.

Faculty experts at the George Washington University are available to discuss the latest developments out of Venezuela. To speak with an expert, please contact Media Relations Specialists Shannon Mitchell or Cate Douglass at [email protected].

Michael McCarthy, Professorial Lecturer at the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University. McCarthy is a leading international affairs expert and trusted international strategic advisor. McCarthy runs Caracas Wire, a Venezuela research advisory company. McCarthy is bilingual in English and Spanish and has worked as a consultant at Venezuela expert for Freedom House, the Carter Center, Consilium Group Advisors, the Wilson Center, along with various schools, law firms and university clinics.

Natalia Dinello, Director of the Global Residencies Program at the Graduate School of Political Management. Dinello is an expert in comparative politics and campaigns. Dinello can discuss politics existing outside of the United States, specifically elections, as well as the influence of the U.S. on outside elections, and outside elections in the U.S.

Diego Abente Brun, professor of practice of international affairs and director of the M.A. in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies Program, is an expert in international relations of Latin America, governance, and comparative democratization. Abente Brun’s research interests also include the intersection of geopolitics and geo-economics and comparative democratization.

Leonard C. Sekelick, professorial lecturer at the GW Elliott School of International Affairs, has taught at GW for nearly 30 years, with longstanding interest in Venezuela and in-depth knowledge of the country. He also has special expertise related to Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia, having spent a lot of time in each of these countries. Sekelick first visited Venezuela in 1993 and has been following politics and government there ever since.

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