Mr González, a retired diplomat, went from being just about unknown to a family identify after opposition chief María Corina Machado was barred from working within the election by the Maduro-controlled supreme courtroom.
The opposition coalition, the Unitarian Democratic Platform, chosen him in April as a last-minute stand-in for Ms Machado.
“A phrase that has been stated to me repeatedly is ‘You’re my final hope,’” Mr González stated of his supporters on Thursday.
“I wish to inform you that you’re the hope. You’ve got crammed me with power to face what has undoubtedly been essentially the most unequal electoral marketing campaign within the historical past of electoral processes in Venezuela.”
For over 1 / 4 of a century, first below Hugo Chávez and now Mr Maduro, Venezuela has suffered deep and sustained financial collapse, together with widespread starvation, prompting one in 4 residents to flee the nation.
However Ms Corina Machado, a 56-year-old industrial engineer, has given a brand new era of Venezuelans hope of a brighter future as she campaigns towards rampant corruption and political repression.
A tense calm blanketed Venezuela’s capital early on Monday, with companies shuttered, bus stops empty and visitors nonexistent.
Consuming breakfast on a bench subsequent to an unopened retailer, 28-year-old Deyvid Cadenas, a first-time voter on Sunday, stated he felt cheated.
“The bulk voted for the opposition,” added Mr Cadenas. “I don’t consider yesterday’s outcomes.”
