A career diplomat with little prior public profile, Gonzalez became the Venezuelan opposition's candidate after its chosen leader, Maria Corina Machado, was barred from running. Opposition-published polling-station tallies showed Gonzalez defeating Nicolas Maduro by a wide margin in the 28 July 2024 election, a result the government-controlled National Electoral Council refused to substantiate while declaring Maduro the winner. Facing an arrest warrant, Gonzalez took refuge in the Spanish embassy in Caracas before flying into exile in Spain on 8 September 2024; he continued to tour internationally as the recognised president-elect for several governments while Maduro remained in power until his January 2026 capture.
- Lived: 1949 CE – ?
- Nationality: venezuelan
- Roles: Opposition presidential candidate, Venezuela (2024)
