Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia has left the country and sought asylum in Spain, according to an announcement made by Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez on September 7, 2024. González, who claims to have won the disputed July 28 presidential election against incumbent Nicolás Maduro, had been staying at the Spanish Embassy in Caracas for several days.Rodríguez stated that the Venezuelan government granted González the necessary safe-conduct passes ‘in the interest of peace and political tranquility in the country’. This decision came after ‘pertinent contacts’ between the Venezuelan and Spanish governments, and was made in accordance with international law.The 75-year-old González had been facing an arrest warrant issued by the Venezuelan Prosecutor’s Office for allegedly failing to attend three summons at the Public Ministry regarding the publication of electoral data, which the government deemed an ‘usurpation of functions’. The opposition claims that González won the July 28 elections, supported by 83.5% of the electoral act copies, but the government disputes this claim.The situation remains tense in Venezuela, with reports of security forces surrounding the Argentine Embassy in Caracas, where six opposition leaders have been seeking refuge. The Venezuelan government has accused these individuals of planning terrorist activities, including an alleged plot to assassinate President Maduro and Vice President Rodríguez.The international community continues to express concern over the political situation in Venezuela. The European Union’s foreign ministers had previously decided not to recognize Maduro as a democratically elected president. As the crisis unfolds, opposition leader María Corina Machado has called for help from the international community, emphasizing the importance of diplomatic asylum in protecting the politically persecuted.
Key points
- Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia has left for Spain with a government-issued safe-conduct pass.
- González claims to have won the July 28 presidential election, which is disputed by the Maduro government.
- The situation highlights ongoing political tensions in Venezuela, with other opposition leaders seeking refuge in foreign embassies.
Contradictions👾While the Venezuelan government claims to have granted González safe passage ‘in the interest of peace and political tranquility’, they had previously issued an arrest warrant for him, suggesting conflicting approaches to handling opposition figures.
