Venezuelan President-elect Edmundo Gonzalez broadcast his first words after arriving in Madrid this Sunday in exile to flee the threats made against him by the regime of Nicolas Maduro. González assured that he had suffered “pressure, coercion and threats” to prevent him from leaving Venezuela. In an audio message sent to the United Democratic Platform (PUD), his political coalition, González explained: “I wanted to inform you that today in the morning I arrived in Madrid. “My departure for Caracas was surrounded by episodes of pressure, coercion and threats not to authorize my departure.”
“My departure from Caracas was surrounded by episodes, of pressure, coercion and threats not to allow my departure“, he explained. González also took the opportunity to express his gratitude for the “expressions of solidarity received from many of you.” “I hope that soon we will continue the struggle to achieve freedom and the restoration of democracy in Venezuela. A big hug to all,” the message concluded.
Edmundo González arrived in Madrid on Sunday aboard a Spanish Air Force plane after taking off from Caracas on Saturday following the arrest warrant issued by Venezuelan authorities for crimes related to allegations of electoral fraud in the December 28 presidential election.
Crackdown after the punch
Opposition leader Edmundo Rodriguez has declared himself the winner of Venezuela’s July presidential elections following a coup by Nicolas Maduro and carried out by the National Electoral Council (CNE), with results that neither the European Union, nor the United States, nor the main democracies of South America recognize.
Edmundo González has been persecuted by the Chavista regime ever since he managed to unite the entire opposition in a single coalition with which he ran in the presidential elections of July 28. Everything indicates that he won them, but the strong hand of the regime prevented him from accessing legitimate power after hiding the electoral results.
This persecution became evident on September 3, when the Venezuelan regime issued an arrest warrant against Edmundo GonzalezA court issued the order following instructions from the Venezuelan prosecutor’s office, which is clearly pro-Chavist.
