News Date 2024/09/09
After being given refuge in Spain, Edmundo González, the opposition candidate from Venezuela, declared he will “continue to fight” for democracy in his own nation.
After spending weeks in hiding in the Spanish embassy in Caracas, Mr. González departed Venezuela on last Saturday. He and his wife arrived at the Torrejón de Ardoz military aviation station in Madrid at around 16:00 local time (14:00 GMT).
The 75-year-old’s exit from the nation came amid unrest following the elections on July 28, in which President Nicolás Maduro declared victory—a claim that Mr. González and many other members of the international community contested. He stated that he was “confident that soon we will continue the fight to achieve freedom and the recovery of democracy in Venezuela” in an audio message that his press team released.
“González of Venezuela promises to ‘continue to fight’ for democratic”
The Venezuelan government had filed an arrest order for him before he left, accusing him of a number of “serious crimes,” including conspiracy and document forgery.Mr. González acknowledged his arrival in Spain and thanked his followers for their messages of support. He said, “My departure from Caracas was surrounded by episodes of pressure, coercion, and threats that I wouldn’t be allowed to leave.”
Maria Corina Machado, the head of the opposition in the nation, had earlier claimed on social media that he had decided to leave the country due to “his life being in danger,” alleging a “brutal wave of repression” following the election.
Popular national candidate Ms. Machado was set to challenge Mr. Maduro, but organisations supportive of the government intervened at the last minute to stop her. In addition to posting comprehensive voting counts online that appear to show Mr. González defeated Mr. Maduro handily, the opposition claimed to have proof that Mr. González had won by a wide majority.
Without Caracas providing comprehensive voting statistics to validate the outcome, the US, the EU, and the vast majority of foreign nations have declined to recognise Mr. Maduro as the victor.
The European Commission’s vice president, Josep Borrell, declared on Sunday that “today is a sad day for democracy in Venezuela.” He said that “in a democracy, no political leader should be forced to seek asylum in another country”.
He declared that all political prisoners should be released and Venezuela should stop persecuting opposition leaders.During a socialist party gathering on Saturday, Pedro Sánchez, the prime minister of Spain, referred to Mr. González as “a hero whom Spain will not abandon.”Mr. González would be granted shelter by Madrid, according to the nation’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, who stated that Madrid was “committed to the political rights” of all Venezuelans.
The Argentine embassy in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, where six opposition activists had been seeking sanctuary, was encircled by security personnel at the time of Mr. González’s departure.
The foreign ministry of the nation said that terrorist plots were being planned there.
[BBC]
