Edmundo Gonzalez fly towards Madrid begin his exile in Spain. The Venezuelan opposition leader is the latest dissident to be granted asylum in Spanish territory after the Public Prosecutor’s Office of that country issued an arrest warrant against him. However, he is not the only one who has had to go to Spain to seek protection: before him, there were others such as Ledezma or Leopoldo Lopez which they also did.
Was Jose Manuel Albares the one who announced González’s escape to Spain through a message on Twitter. During his official trip to China, Albares clarified that the opponent had requested political asylum that “of course, the Spanish government will process and grant.”
From Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez was responsible for announcing González’s departure from the country: “Today, September 7, the opponent Edmundo González Urrutia left the country, after voluntarily taking refuge in the embassy of the Kingdom of Spain in Caracas for several days. political asylum before this government.
Rodriguez made it clear that the departure took place in “for the sake of tranquility and political peace“.
Other cases
González is by no means the first Venezuelan opponent to seek refuge in Spain.
Antonio Ledezmaformer mayor of Caracas, fled Caracas for Spain in 2017. He landed in Madrid on November 17 of that year from Colombia. At that time, although there was talk of political asylum, he obtained international protection after being placed under house arrest and fleeing to the neighboring country after suffering various persecutions.
Leopoldo Lopez Nor did he arrive in Spain as a political refugee. After being released by Juan Guaido and military after five years of detention, the Venezuelan opponent took refuge in the Spanish embassy but did not request political asylum, having to do so on Spanish territory. Shortly after, he settled in Spain where he now lives in exile with his family and from where he seeks to unite the world’s dissidents against dictatorships through his project of the World Congress of Freedom.
After spending more than 18 months as a guest at the Spanish Embassy in Caracas, he then moved to Madrid with his father, a Member of the European Parliament, and his wife. Lilian Tintorialso an opponent. In this case, the political asylum situation was not necessary because they had an Italian passport.
At that time Leopoldo Lopez was clear: “Venezuelans, this decision has not been easy, but rest assured that you have this server to fight from any space. We will not rest and we will continue working day and night to achieve the freedom that all Venezuelans deserve.”
