Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado assured her supporters on Monday that she was staying in the country to “accompany the struggle,” following the surprise departure into exile to Spain of candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia.
President Maduro, who had vilified his opponent, assured in the evening that he had “respect” for the decision of the 75-year-old former ambassador.
“I have decided to stay in Venezuela and accompany the struggle from here, while he (Gonzalez Urrutia) leads it from outside,” said Machado, who has been living in hiding since the announcement of the disputed results of the July 28 presidential election, during a videoconference.
She said she did not know whether Mr Gonzalez Urrutia’s departure “may increase the risk” for her.
“We all know that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia is the elected president of Venezuela. And he will remain so, whether he is in Venezuela or anywhere else in the world,” she said.
The opposition claims, with supporting records, that its candidate won the presidential election against Maduro with more than 60% of the vote. The United States, the European Union and several Latin American countries do not recognize the re-election of the outgoing president with 52% of the vote proclaimed by the electoral authority.
The fact that he is no longer in Venezuela “changes absolutely nothing: the legitimacy is maintained, the strategy is the same,” added Ms. Machado, while many Venezuelans expressed their dismay on social networks after Mr. Gonzalez Urrutia’s arrival in Spain on Sunday.
In a letter published on social media, Mr. Gonzalez Urrutia assured that he had left “for things to change and to build a new stage for Venezuela. This decision is a gesture that extends a hand to everyone (…) Only the policy of dialogue will allow us to find ourselves as compatriots.”
– “Respect” –
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Monday evening that he had “respect” for Mr Gonzalez Urrutia’s decision: “I understand and respect the step he has taken.”
“May everything go well on his path and in his new life. He can be sure that his wishes for peace and harmony for the country will be fulfilled. Peace will reign in Venezuela above all else,” he concluded, acknowledging having had “a tough confrontation after July 29” with his adversary whom he regularly called a “coward.”
Before leaving for Spain, Mr Gonzalez Urrutia had ignored three summonses from the prosecution, believing that his appearance could have cost him his freedom.
He had been the target of an arrest warrant since September 2, with the public prosecutor’s office having opened investigations for “disobedience to the law”, “conspiracy, “usurpation of functions” and “sabotage”.
The head of Spanish diplomacy, José Manuel Albares, promised on Onda Cero radio that political asylum would “of course” be granted to him, and stressed that there had been no “consideration for Edmundo Gonzalez to be able to leave the country.”
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez assured that Caracas had granted the necessary safe conducts for her departure “in the interest of peace and political tranquility in the country.”
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, a leading figure in Venezuela’s government, dismissed accusations of harassment by the government against Mr Gonzalez Urrutia: “Mr Edmundo left alone with his wife, they left quietly (…), he said goodbye calmly, very relaxed,” he said ironically, adding that “it was a voluntary act, no one forced him.
From The Hague, the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) called on Caracas on Monday to “respect the rule of law”.
The ICC has been investigating for several years alleged crimes against humanity committed by the government in Venezuela in 2017 during opposition protests. Some 200 people were killed.
“The investigation is (…) active and ongoing. In this context, the Office is also closely monitoring the development of the situation in Venezuela after” the presidential election of July 28, recalled the prosecutor’s office.
The repression of spontaneous protests that followed the announcement of Mr Maduro’s re-election left 27 dead and 192 injured. Some 2,400 people were arrested, according to official sources.
According to his entourage contacted by AFP, Mr. Gonzalez Urrutia should not appear publicly before the return of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as the Spanish Prime Minister, currently on a visit to China.
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