For over a month – from July 29 to “early September” -, Edmundo Gonzalez He was “pressured, coerced, threatened and blackmailed” while remaining under the protection of the Dutch ambassador in Caracas, Robert Schuddeboom.
In addition to the public challenges of Nicolas Maduro and the three requests from the prosecution that he ignored, the candidate of the democratic opposition in the presidential election of July 28 received calls on your cell phone, messages e-mail And warnings to his family. Specifically to his daughter and grandsonresidents of the Venezuelan capital.
On all these occasions, the message was always the same: they were being offered a way out of this Caribbean country. “or face the consequences”. Of course, always on condition that he signs a document recognizing the validity of the results proclaimed by the National Electoral Council (CNE), controlled by Chavismo.
The Ambassador Schuddeboom announced his retirement a week ago, just five or six days after saying goodbye to González Urrutia.
NHe never allowed the regime’s envoys to enter his residence or official premises, and “encouraged the opposition leader to resist”Despite this, the diplomatic legation found itself surrounded by supporters of the regime and agents of the Sebin (the Chavista political police).
From one embassy to another
This is the story of the five weeks in which the “president-elect” of the Republic of Venezuela – according to the Spanish Cortes and the European Parliament – resisted coercion under Dutch protection, before going to the residence of the Spanish ambassador and giving in, “under duress”, before Delcy Rodriguez, strong woman of the regime, and his brother Jorge.
Dutch diplomatic sourceshe around of Edmundo González and senior officials of the democratic oppositioncoincide in the succession of events, consulted separately.
This is corroborated by political sources of the Spanish oppositionwith its own nuances. And the official sources of the Spanish government. And the statement released Thursday night by González Urrutia himself confirms that Spain “did not exercise coercion” and let him “decide freely”, but does not explain why he abandoned Dutch protection for Spanish protection.
Edmundo finally signed at the residence of the Spanish ambassador on September 7, one day before landing in Spain, the same Saturday that Pedro Sanchez he was called “hero” before the PSOE Federal Committee and confirmed that his government would “never” “abandon” him.
The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs insists that “There was no compensation”but this is at least questionable. Because González Urrutia, after the public and private threats, knew that “either I signed or I suffered the consequences,” as he explained in his video last Wednesday.
VIDEO | Edmundo González denounces having been forced to sign Maduro’s victory to go to Spain
The department of Jose Manuel Albares He also assures that “there were only technical contacts for the landing of the plane and the safety of Edmundo to the airport”, but this is not true.
Ramon SantosSpanish ambassador, was there. Not only had he been ordered to allow the opposition leader to meet with whomever he wanted, but he was also present during the exchange of documents with the Rodríguez brothers. This is evidenced by the images released by the prosecutor, Tarek William Saab.
From left to right: Delcy Rodríguez, Edmundo González (seated), Jorge Rodríguez (standing, with glasses) and Spanish Ambassador Ramón Santos (back view), at the Spanish diplomatic headquarters in Caracas.
National Assembly of Venezuela
Foreign Affairs also states that “There was no political negotiation”. And there is no evidence to deny it, although there is testimony from the entourage of the opposition candidate, now exiled in Spain.
His environment assures him He left the Dutch embassy, determined to flee from Venezuela to Spain. And that is why he went to the residence of the Spanish ambassador, where he was able to meet with Maduro’s envoys.
An official Dutch document to which EL ESPAÑOL had access, signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Caspar Veldkampcorroborates this point: “At the beginning of September, Edmundo González indicated that he wanted to leave the residence [diplomática neerlandesa] and the country.”
The ambassador insisted that he could remain in those offices, with his safety guaranteed, for as long as he wished. “However, He said he wanted to leave and continue his fight from Spain” adds this ministerial communication.
How is it possible that he left the Dutch diplomatic legation, if he was located, and arrived free at the Spanish embassy? Venezuelan democratic opponents, exiled in Spain, wonder who is suggesting this? José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero would have participated in this maneuver.
Dutch protection
The same Monday after the elections, while the CNE was “stealing” the democratically expressed will of Venezuelans – proclaiming Maduro’s victory with 51% of the vote – González Urrutia asked for shelter to the Dutch diplomatic legation.
“The security forces have responded in some cases with violence,” the minister explained to the President of the Dutch House, explaining their efforts, “which has provoked dead and wounded“.
In the nearly two months since the election fraud, More than 1,000 people have been arrested or reported missing. “In addition to the protesters, members of the Venezuelan opposition also fear for their safety. Several of them have been detained since the elections and Since then, nothing has been heard from the others.This threat was also applied to the opposition candidate, Edmundo González.
The minister explains it in the aforementioned document, sent to the Parliament of his country: “A At your urgent request, the day after the elections, I decided to provide you hospitality as long as needed at the ambassador’s residence [Encargado de Negocios] of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Caracas”.
According to the text [Documento en PDF] Sent to the Dutch Parliament, the same foreign minister of the central European country also came to put pressure on González Urrutia: “I told him about the situation in Venezuela.the importance of the work of the opposition and the transition to democracy,” he explains, “and highlighted our continued hospitality”.
All this prolonged the agony of the former Venezuelan diplomat, as he made the decision to save his life and avoid reprisals against his family, yielding to Chavista pressure.
