Macron says Venezuela’s González Urrutia should become president

French President Emmanuel Macron has said that Edmundo González Urrutia, a candidate in Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election, should become the country’s new head of state and oversee its transition to democracy.

Writing on X, Macron stressed that the emerging transition period must be peaceful, democratic, and based on respect for the will of the Venezuelan people, per Caliber.Az.

“The transition that is now opening must be peaceful, democratic, and respectful of the will of the Venezuelan people. We hope that President Edmundo González Urrutia, elected in 2024, can ensure this transition as soon as possible,” Macron said.

He added that he is holding consultations with France’s partners in the region and said France is prepared to ensure the security of its citizens amid what he described as “these hours of uncertainty.”

The statement aligns France with a growing number of Western leaders recognizing González as the legitimate president-elect, based on opposition tallies showing he defeated Maduro in the July 2024 vote—results rejected by Maduro's regime and its allied electoral council.

This comes one day after the U.S.-led Operation Absolute Resolve, which involved airstrikes on military targets and a raid extracting Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, for trial in New York on narco-terrorism charges. President Trump has indicated U.S. administration of a transition period focused on oil revitalization, while Venezuela's Supreme Court appointed Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as acting head of state.

González, currently in exile, has been endorsed by the U.S., several Latin American nations, and the EU as the rightful leader. International divisions persist, with Maduro allies like Russia condemning the intervention, as efforts intensify for a negotiated, peaceful handover amid risks of further instability.

By Khagan Isayev