'Decade-old' president Maduro vs 'strongman' Gonzalez. Who will Venezuelans vote for?

The outcome of the elections will determine the South American country’s political and economic landscape over the next six years.

Among the main contenders is incumbent president Nicolas Maduro who has been president since 2013 when he took over from his predecessor Hugo Chavez who died from cancer. Closely following is Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, the Plataforma Unitaria Democratica (PUD) candidate.

Here’s a brief profile of the main candidates in the Venezuela elections coming off on Sunday.

Nicholas Maduro

Nicolas Maduro was born on November 23, 1962, in Caracas and attended high school in the same city. The former bus driver has a long history of a career in trade unionism, representing the workers of the Caracas Metro system before entering politics.

He served in many political capacities before eventually becoming president in April 2013.

Maduro served as a member of Venezuela’s parliament and the National Assembly in 2000, rising to become the assembly’s president at some point.

He was foreign minister for six years under his predecessor President Hugo Chavez before being named vice president in October 2012.

Maduro's connection with his predecessor dates back to 1992 when he protested for Chávez's release from prison after a failed coup attempt that made Chávez well-known.

As foreign minister, Maduro was a keen follower of Chavez’s line and a major critic of U.S. foreign policy. He rather built relationships with new partners like Russia and China as financiers.

After the demise of Chavez, Maduro became acting president on March 8, 2013, and won the subsequent elections on April 14, 2013, making him president of Venezuela.

The ruling United Socialist Party’s candidate was sworn in as president 5 days later.

After serving as defacto leader for five years, he was elected to a second term as president in 2018 in a highly contested poll in which he won 67.8% of the votes.

Maduro has a reputation for his style of leadership not only domestically but also internationally. Maduro has been accused of authoritarianism and human rights abuses.

Maduro's rule has been marked by economic crisis, hyperinflation, and widespread shortages of basic goods. Close to 8 million Venezuelans are said to have fled the country since 2013. Ahead of the July 28 elections, Maduro has promised a 'fair lead. During a campaign rally on July 19, he confidently told supporters, "We are winning, and we are winning with a fair lead," Maduro proclaimed to his supporters in Petare, a neighbourhood in eastern Caracas. The rally saw Maduro dancing and singing with the crowd, as he assured them that "no one will sabotage" the vote.

On 4 February this year to mark the anniversary of a failed coup led by his mentor, Hugo Chávez, Maduro also assured the crowd that he is winning the July elections “by hook or crook”.

Maduro is married to Cilia Flores, a renowned lawyer in the country and a former president of the National Assembly. She also served under Chavez’s government in his defence team and as the nation's attorney general.

Maduro was raised a Roman Catholic, and he and his wife are supporters of the late Indian spiritual guru Sai Baba.

He is contending with nine others for the presidency in the upcoming elections and so far, concerns have been raised about the likelihood of fairness in the elections considering past events.

Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia

Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia has become a force to reckon with in Venezuela, arguably described as the strong man with the highest likelihood of unseating President Maduro. The academic and former diplomat was born on August 29, 1949, in La Victoria, Venezuela.

He is a graduate of the Central University of Venezuela with a degree in International Relations. Having began his professional career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela, during which period he was posted to Belgium and Washington. Gonzalez eventually became Ambassador to Algeria between 1991 and 1993 and Argentina between 1998 and 2002.

His position as opposition leader representing the Plataforma Unitaria Democratica (PUD) was a last-minute decision for the 74-year-old.

He accepted the role as a “personal commitment to Venezuelans” after his predecessor who was the obvious winner of an opposition primary in 2023 was barred from contesting. This was after she won an opposition primary held in October 2023 with more than 90% of the votes.

Machado was banned by the Supreme Court from running for public office over corruption allegations.

Following this, all other replacement candidates including Corina Yoris were either barred or pulled out of the race, leaving Gonzalez as the only viable replacement for María Corina Machado who was the party’s previous candidate chosen to unseat Maduro.

Gonzalez has widely been described as a loving grandfather whose candidacy seeks to look out for Venezuelans, with his slogan, “Edmundo, president for all”. He has been credited with building the opposition coalition into what it is today, although quietly behind the scenes.

Despite vying for the presidency, Gonzalez’ calm nature is evident in public appearances and interviews during which he usually sticks to the script, giving simple monotonous responses to political questions.

Gonzalez has also promised to tackle the country’s economic woes that have elevated poverty levels among citizens and driven many Venezuelans out of the country.

Gonzalez lives in Caracas and is married to Mercedes López de González, with whom he has two daughters. They are a Catholic and very devout family.