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The opposition has struggled to define a candidate for the July
28 contest since the South American nation's top court upheld a
ban on office for the winner of the opposition primary, Maria
Corina Machado. She says the ban is illegal.
The ban and several recent arrests of activists and opposition
members have drawn repeated international condemnation.
The United States reimposed broad oil sanctions this week after
it said Maduro's socialist government had failed to comply with
the terms of an electoral deal agreed with the opposition in
October.
Venezuela is enduring a prolonged economic slump that has led
some eight million people, more than a quarter of the country's
population, to leave in recent years in search of better
prospects.
Despite the naming of Gonzalez, the opposition fears that anyone
named as the unity candidate could be subject to a ban before
the contest.
Gonzalez, 74, is a former ambassador to Argentina and is already
registered to compete in the contest, after he was put forward
by the opposition Democratic Unity group in March.
His registration had been considered a placeholder while
internal negotiations took place. The decision to keep him on
the ballot comes just a day before a substitution deadline.
"The unitary platform has just unanimously approved the
candidacy of Edmundo Gonzalez as the unity candidate after a
high-level and respectful debate where both Maria Corina Machado
and Manuel Rosales participated," said coalition leader Omar
Barboza.
Rosales, the 71-year-old governor of Zulia province, had
registered under a different opposition party but said he would
back Gonzalez.
"As we've always said, the future of Venezuela must come first,"
Rosales posted on X.
Machado, who is expected to speak on Saturday, posted only
"Venezuelans, we move forward."
Some 46% of people polled by More Consulting this month said
they would support the candidate backed by Machado, while 21%
said they would support Maduro and 5% said they would vote for
Rosales.
(Reporting by Mayela Armas; Writing by David Alire Garcia and
Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by William Mallard)
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