Reactions to the arrival of Edmundo González in Spain There have been several in the last 24 hours. The Venezuelan opponent arrived at the military airport in Torrejon de Ardoz (Madrid) around 4 p.m. this Sunday, because many other compatriots have already escaped the Venezuelan political situation.
Among them are: Erick ZuletaPresident of the National Federation of Transport of Venezuela -Fedetransporte- and Vice-President of the Alliance of Independent Trade Unions -ASI Venezuela-; Jules Borgesformer president of the National Assembly and founder of the Primero Justicia party; Marcela MasperoPresident of the National Union of Workers (Unete); and Antonio Ledezmaformer deputy of the National Congress of Venezuela.
The four opponents left Venezuela to reach Spain in search of help. Each in a different way, each with a different regime: some through the figure of political asylum, others thanks to the Spanish passport.
What everyone agrees on is the demand that Pedro Sanchez recognize Edmundo González as the elected president of Venezuela.
“Courageous” decision
HAS Marcela MasperoPresident of the National Workers Union (UNETE), was surprised by what happened “like most people. She had to do what millions of Venezuelans do. The massive displacement across borders is very significant. There is an internal war and the fact that Edmundo left showed it.
Jules Borges, former president of the National Assembly of Venezuela, points out that “Edmundo González, María Corina Machado and almost all the leaders have been subjected to a criminal siege since July 28, after the triumph over the dictatorship.”
From his point of view, “in the case of Edmundo, being the winning candidate, The persecution was brutal“The dictatorship’s judicial system investigated him, summoned him to testify, issued him an arrest warrant and, a few days ago, Maduro’s own prosecutor publicly condemned him.”
That’s why he thinks Gonzalez is making a decision “brave” with the aim of “remaining free and continuing the fight abroad so that he can return to the country to be sworn in as president of Venezuela.” In addition, he understands that this is an opportunity for him to lead an international crusade from abroad. Pedro Sánchez must recognize Edmundo González as the undisputed winner of July 28.”
Political asylum seeker Erick Zuleta expresses himself in the same vein. “It seems to me that it is a good strategy “The strategy was not bad, given the aberration of the regime.”
“Wherever he is, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia is the elected president of Venezuela“, says former deputy of the National Congress of Venezuela, Antonio Ledezma. “The verified minutes confirm this and their validity does not vary if the president-elect changes residence.”
Antonio Ledezma on a street in Madrid.
Ledezma thinks that now we will have “this triumphant duo formed by María Corina Machado and Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia carrying out the same program of struggle to save democracy in Venezuela, in different scenarios, each in the two Venezuelas, the one that has gone into exile and the one that resists inside, always determined to promote an identical and unique strategy.
This means that “we will see Edmundo González Urrutia to run for president-elect on the most important stages of the world and María Corina faithfully honoring her proclamation of principle that this fight is until the end. María Corina will continue to resist alongside these courageous people who trust her.”
In any case, Zuleta understands that Edmundo González should not arrive with a political asylum regime but as the elected president of Venezuela. “That will allow you to return before January 10th“.
For his part, Ledezma said: “We receive him with the respect he deserves and the assurance that will be able to fulfill the historical role that it is his responsibility to assume in this exile from where we will not cease to maintain our fight to realize the desire to return to the homeland.”
International impact
Respondents stress that what happened will lead to new international pressure. “The world cannot let this precedent pass. European countries, American countries, United States, Canada… “They can’t allow it. It would set a disastrous precedent,” Zuleta says.
For Julio Borges “the world is clear, even for the governments of the Brazil and Colombiatwo things: first, there is an undeniable triumph for Edmundo and María Corina.”
The reason is that “Maduro has not presented a single review report for a month and a half (which he himself has acknowledged). Lula da Silva a few days ago) and secondly, Venezuela has no future if Maduro remains in power. “It is not only about migration, which is beginning to accelerate these days, but also about the issue of a Maduro allied with Russia, China, Cuba and Iran, countries declared enemies of the West.”
“It is an unusual threat to the world“concludes Borges, while Maspero believes that what happened will increase the number of people who want to leave Venezuela.
Zapatero and Maduro
The key person in the agreement for Edmundo to obtain safe conduct was José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
Zuleta clearly expresses his opinion on the subject with a ready-made phrase.He who approaches the devil…“. Borges, for his part, is more direct: “Zapatero, instead of putting pressure to end the repression, remains silent and, through his silence, he becomes an accomplice in the enormous pressure exerted on the opposition.”
Parliament President Julio Borges speaks with the ambassadors of Mexico, the United Kingdom and Spain in an archive image.
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“He was the architect of everything that was forged, his silence since July 28 has indicated to us that he was in something macabre and Edmundo’s departure from Venezuela does not confirm it,” says Borges, the hardest.
The former president of the National Assembly claims that “Zapatero has too many interests at stake in Venezuela, he has become a sort of chancellor/advisor to Maduro. He is a toxic character for Venezuela’s freedom and he has demonstrated it since 2017, when he was mediator in the Dominican Republic and I was the chief negotiator of the opposition, there, he did nothing but operate to save Maduro and avoid his international isolation.
Borges believes that Zapatero “will now to try to get that back again and sells himself in Spain as the one who managed to protect the opposition and the architect of the new liberations, but the world knows the truth and Zapatero and Maduro are the same“.
Finally, the Venezuelan opponent thinks that Maduro wanted Edmundo to leave. “Maduro is cornered and is clinging to brute force to try to stay in power. But all this repression will lead to disaster. Dictatorships make mistakes and with this opens a great opportunity for Edmundo González from abroad and María Corina Machado from Venezuela to simultaneously lead pressure processes so that this dictatorship ends and we have the transition that Venezuela deserves and urgently needs.
“To avoid PP warning“, who assured that Edmundo’s departure is a victory for the Maduro regime, “pressure must be put on Sánchez to recognize the undisputed triumph of Edmundo González.”
