To everyone’s surprise, Edmundo González Urrutia, the Venezuelan opposition candidate who claims victory in the July 28 presidential elections against Nicolás Maduro, left Venezuela on Saturday, September 7, for Spain, which granted him asylum. Caracas authorities granted him safe conduct. “for the sake of peace” of the country.
Venezuela has been mired in a political crisis since the elections in which Nicolás Maduro was officially re-elected for a third six-year term. The opposition is contesting his re-election.
“Today, September 7, Edmundo González Urrutia (…) He left the country. After voluntarily seeking refuge in the Spanish embassy in Caracas a few days ago, he requested political asylum in Madrid.wrote Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez on social media. “Venezuela has granted the necessary safe-conducts for the sake of peace and political tranquility in the country”said.
“I confirm that he went to Spain”González Urrutia’s lawyer, José Vicente Haro, told Agence France-Presse, saying he could not comment further. According to a source close to the opposition, he left Venezuela with his wife, Mercedes.
“At your request, Edmundo González Urrutia flies to Spain on a Spanish Air Force plane. Madrid is committed to respecting the political rights and physical integrity of all Venezuelans”Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said on social media, repeating the terms of a government press release.
Targeted by an arrest warrant
Former ambassador Gonzalez Urrutia, 75, had agreed to replace opposition leader Maria Corina Machado as presidential candidate at short notice, after being declared ineligible. The opposition leader, who had been in hiding for more than a month, had been subject to an arrest warrant since September 3 for failing to appear at three summonses from the prosecutor’s office relating to an investigation into the website of the opposition party that enabled him to emerge victorious. He had not been seen in public since July 30.
The investigation concerns in particular allegations of “disobedience to the laws”of “conspiracy”, of“usurpation of functions” AND of “sabotage”The opposition and many observers believe that justice is at the behest of those in power.
Nicolás Maduro, whose victory was validated by the Supreme Court on August 22, was declared the winner with 52% of the votes by the National Electoral Council (CNE), which did not make public the minutes of the polling stations, claiming to be the victim of computer hacking. Such an attack is not considered very credible by the opposition and by many observers, who see it as a maneuver by those in power to avoid revealing the exact count. According to the opposition, which published the minutes provided by its scrutineers, González Urrutia obtained more than 60% of the votes.
The United States, the European Union and several Latin American countries do not recognise Maduro’s re-election. This already happened in 2018, after a vote that was boycotted by an opposition that denounced fraud. After the announcement of the election results on 28 July, spontaneous demonstrations broke out. They left 27 dead and 192 injured, while some 2,400 people were arrested, according to official sources.
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