Venezuela’s barred opposition candidate is now the fiery surrogate of her lesser-known replacement

By REGINA GARCIA CANO
Associated Press

SABANA DE MENDOZA, Venezuela (AP) — At an intersection packed in four directions, rally-goers scream and light up cellphones in the evening as Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado climbs onto a flatbed truck like a presidential candidate. She has been barred from the July 28 election. Still, she crisscrosses the country, shaking hands, taking selfies, blowing kisses and promising the defeat of President Nicolás Maduro _ all as a surrogate for a quiet former diplomat who has not yet begun to campaign. Machado’s challenge is whether she can translate her fame and charisma into votes for Edmundo González Urrutia, who was chosen by the chief opposition coalition after Machado was unable to overcome a ruling blocking her candidacy.