Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Gonzalez seeks unity in first rally

By REGINA GARCIA CANO
Associated Press

LA VICTORIA, Venezuela (AP) — The presidential candidate of Venezuela’s chief opposition coalition has sought to cultivate a mood of hope and possibility in a large rally that marked the start of a campaign he admittedly never imagined leading. Edmundo González Urrutia, the former diplomat chosen by the coalition to replace the fiery leader María Corina Machado, invited thousands of supporters to gather in the city of La Victoria, his hometown. He urged them to imagine a country where public services are not a luxury, people are not imprisoned for their political beliefs and millions will return after having migrated throughout a decade in search of better economic opportunities.