Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez, who claims he defeated dictator Nicolas Maduro in a fake presidential election in July, arrived in Spain on Sunday after leaving Venezuela to seek political asylum.
The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement Gonzalez and his wife flew from Venezuela on a Spanish Air Force plane and arrived at Torrejon Air Base in Madrid on Sunday afternoon local time.
“The asylum application process will now begin, the resolution of which will be in favor of Spain's commitment to the political rights and physical integrity of all Venezuelans, particularly its political leaders,” the statement said.
Gonzalez, a 75-year-old former diplomat, was the only legitimate opposition candidate allowed on the ballot by the socialist Maduro regime in the sham presidential election on July 28. His appearance on the ballot was initially Placeholder The outcome of the election would naturally change if the Maduro government had allowed opposition leader Maria Corina Machado to run, though the government ultimately upheld a ban against her, preventing her from running.
Dutch Foreign Minister Kasper Veldkamp stated On Sunday, the Dutch embassy in Caracas said it had hosted González from July 28, the day of the fake presidential elections, until September 5, when he requested asylum in Spain.
Socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro and his Venezuelan counterparts continue to claim that the dictator is the “winner” of this fake election, even as they continue to refuse to release voter data that supports the results they claim.
Venezuela's Opposition Published Venezuela, using its own voter data collected directly from local polling stations rather than from national election authorities, shows Gonzalez defeated Maduro in a landslide victory.Maduro's “victory” has been widely rejected by the international community, as have many Venezuelans who took part in protests to which the socialists have responded with brutal persecution. campaign More than 25 people were killed and about 200 injured. Independent human rights groups have documented the arbitrary detention of more than 2,400 people, including 129 childrenOf these, 86 Reportedly Recently released.
Machado is statement After Gonzalez arrived in Spain, he took to social media to explain that growing threats from the Maduro regime put the opposition candidate's life at risk, saying it “speaks to the regime's lack of conscience and limits in its determination to silence and suppress Gonzalez.”
“In the face of this brutal reality, our objective is to protect his freedom, his integrity and his life,” Machado said.
The opposition leader said Gonzalez would “be sworn in as Constitutional President of Venezuela and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces” on January 10, 2025, when Venezuela's new presidential term is scheduled to begin.
Gonzalez's departure from Venezuela came days after the collapse of Maduro's regime. issued An arrest warrant has been issued for the former opposition candidate, charging him with several offences related to election fraud, including “insubordination,” “conspiracy,” “usurpation of office” and “obstruction.”
His departure was unilaterally decided by the Maduro regime. Cancelled After Maduro decided to abandon the agreement with Brazil, Brazil was able to gain control of the Argentine embassy in Caracas. tie Argentina and six other countries have questioned Trump's claim of an election “victory.”
Argentina gave Brazil permission to monitor its embassy in Caracas after President Maduro broke off diplomatic relations with Brazil, objecting to Buenos Aires harboring six Venezuelan dissidents whom the ruling Socialist party alleges are involved in an unproven assassination plot against Maduro and other members of his government. Venezuelan security forces surrounded the embassy over the weekend after Maduro revoked Brazil's detention authorization. Reportedly He departed only after Gonzalez left the country.
Maduro's Vice President, Delcy Rodriguez, first announced Gonzalez's flight. Assert Gonzalez said on social media that he left the country on Saturday after spending “several days” as a refugee at the Spanish embassy in Caracas, where he had been applying for asylum.
“In this sense, appropriate contacts have been made between the two Governments, both extremes of events have been met and, in compliance with international law, Venezuela has issued the appropriate safe-conduct in the interest of tranquility and political peace in the country,” President Rodriguez's message read.
“This action reaffirms the respect for law that has prevailed in the actions of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the international community,” the message continued.
Speaking on Spanish national television station RTVE, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Álvarez said: Denied The Spanish government would not comment Sunday on whether there had been “political negotiations” between the Maduro government and the Spanish government.
“There are no political negotiations taking place between the Spanish and Venezuelan governments,” Alvarez said, adding that Gonzalez's political asylum was a “personal request” from the opposition leader.
Rodriguez, immediately after the Spanish Foreign Minister's remarks Claimed The Maduro government said on social media that it was in “extensive discussions” with Spain over Gonzalez's departure from Venezuela and that “full guarantees of safe passage” were the result of an agreement between the two countries.
“It is known that a Spanish air force aircraft landed with the permission of Venezuelan aviation authorities,” Rodriguez said.
Echoing Rodriguez's claims, Venezuela's Attorney General Tarek William Saab Claimed On Sunday, Maduro's government and Spain held talks to allow Gonzalez safe departure from Venezuela.
“The governments of Spain and Venezuela have agreed to issue a safe-conduct document to national Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, allowing him to leave the country and take advantage of the asylum granted by Spain,” Saab said, reading out a statement from the Venezuelan prosecutor's office.
Saab argued that Gonzalez's departure “ends a short season of humorous productions, though I'm not sure if they can be called comedic, in the comedy genre.” [Cuban] Toad theater.”
“On Saturday night, September 7th, Gonzalez's final performance took place when she said her farewell on the Mytechia runway. [sic] “Here at the airport in Caracas,” Saab continued, alleging that Gonzalez had a “supporting actor,” or “bad actor,” whom the attorney general said was Maria Corina Machado, “who took the microphone away from Mr. Gonzalez and threatened the leading actor.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Promote President Maduro has expressed his intention to hold “free and fair elections” in Venezuela. statement The president said Sunday that González's resignation was a “direct consequence of anti-democratic measures” taken by Maduro since the election.
“On July 28, the Venezuelan people overwhelmingly and unequivocally expressed their desire for democratic change. The election results and the will of the people will not be easily ignored by President Maduro and the Venezuelan electoral authorities,” the statement said. “We support González Urrutia's call to continue the fight for the restoration of freedom and democracy in Venezuela.”
“We call on President Maduro to end this repression and immediately release all those unjustly detained,” the statement continued. “The United States will continue to work with international partners to protect Venezuela's democratic freedoms and hold President Maduro and his representatives accountable for their actions.”
