Edmundo Gonzalez, who represented Venezuela's main opposition coalition in the July presidential election, addresses a gathering of supporters outside of the Organization of American States, Monday, Jan.

Ahead is Maduro's toughest challenge yet — one that will determine the future of Venezuela's already debilitated democracy. A biopic produced for last year's campaign recounted how Maduro grew up in a working-class barrio of Caracas torn between his love of baseball and student activism.

Edmundo González has become a beacon of hope for millions of Venezuelans. They want to call him president. He believes he won that office at the ballot box last year. The government of President Nicolás Maduro says he did not.