Venezuela’s main opposition bloc agrees on candidate to challenge Maduro

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (Ariana Cubillos/AP, File)

Venezuela’s main opposition coalition agreed on Friday to unite behind former diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez as its challenger to President Nicolas Maduro in this summer’s election, acting one day before the deadline to formalise its candidate.

The decision was reached unanimously by the 10 parties in the Unitary Democratic Platform, Omar Barboza, the coalition’s executive secretary, said after a five-hour meeting that included discussions of other possible candidates.