The opposition candidate who claims victory in the July 28 presidential election against Nicolas Maduro, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, left Venezuela on Saturday to everyone’s surprise for Spain, which granted him asylum.
Venezuelan authorities granted him safe conduct “in the interest of peace” in the country.
Venezuela has been mired in political crisis since the election that saw Nicolas Maduro officially re-elected for a third six-year term. The opposition is contesting the re-election.
“Today, September 7, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia (…) left the country. After voluntarily taking refuge in the Spanish embassy in Caracas a few days ago, he requested political asylum from the Spanish government,” wrote Vice President Delcy Rodriguez on social media.
“Venezuela has granted the necessary safe conducts in the interest of peace and political tranquility in the country,” she said.
“I confirm that he left for Spain,” Mr Gonzalez Urrutia’s lawyer, José Vicente Haro, told AFP, saying he could not comment further.
According to a source close to the opposition, he left Venezuela with his wife, Mercedes.
“At his request, Edmundo Gonzalez is flying to Spain on a Spanish Air Force plane. The Spanish government is committed to respecting the political rights and physical integrity of all Venezuelans,” Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said on social media, citing a government statement.
– Arrest warrant –
Former ambassador, Mr. Gonzalez Urrutia, 75, had agreed to replace opposition leader Maria Corina Machado as candidate at short notice, having been declared ineligible.
The opponent, who had been living in hiding for over a month, had been the target of an arrest warrant since September 3 for failing to appear at three summonses from the public prosecutor’s office concerning an investigation into the opposition website which gave him the lead.
The investigation focuses on accusations of “disobedience to the law”, “conspiracy”, “usurpation of functions” and “sabotage”. The opposition and many observers consider that justice is at the beck and call of those in power.
Attorney General Tarek William Saab said he would make “important statements” on Sunday morning.
Nicolas Maduro, whose victory was validated by the Supreme Court on August 22, was declared the winner with 52% of the vote by the National Electoral Council (CNE), which has not made public the minutes of the polling stations, saying it was the victim of computer hacking.
Such a computer attack is considered implausible by the opposition and many observers, who see it as a maneuver by the government to avoid disclosing the exact count. According to the opposition, which published the minutes provided by its scrutineers, Mr. Gonzalez Urrutia obtained more than 60% of the votes.
The United States, the European Union and several Latin American countries do not recognize Mr. Maduro’s re-election. Much of the international community had already failed to recognize his re-election in 2018 after the opposition boycotted the election, which claimed fraud.
After the announcement of his re-election on July 28, spontaneous demonstrations broke out. They left 27 dead and 192 injured, while some 2,400 people were arrested, according to official sources.
– Tensions with Brazil –
The departure of Mr. Gonzalez Urrutia overshadowed the standoff on Saturday between Caracas and Brasilia around the residence of the Argentine embassy where six opposition leaders have been sheltering since March.
Caracas has in fact “immediately” revoked the authorization given to Brazil to represent Argentina in the country, and in particular to manage the embassy residence.
Venezuelan authorities assure that they have “evidence” of “the use of the mission for planning terrorist actions” and of attempts to assassinate President Maduro by the six opponents.
The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately reminded Caracas of “the inviolability of the facilities of the Argentine diplomatic mission.”
Venezuela on July 29 severed diplomatic relations with seven Latin American countries, including Argentina, that did not recognize Mr. Maduro’s contested re-election.
The Venezuelan opposition denounced Saturday morning the “siege” by the police of the residence, where according to them the electricity was cut. Since Friday evening, it has been surrounded by security forces, noted AFP journalists.
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