On September 7, Edmundo González, the right-wing opposition leader and former presidential candidate, left Venezuela for Spain. The Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares himself confirmed the news: “As soon as…Edmundo González, [informed] that his wish was to come to Spain, we set in motion all diplomatic and material means to achieve it”. This development poses a major challenge to the opposition, who had maintained that González is set to be the next president of Venezuela. His lawyer, had also previously declared that the defeated candidate would not leave the country or request asylum.
In a statement published in his X account, which stands out for its conciliatory tone, González expressed that he decided to leave to avoid further conflict in Venezuela: “I have decided to leave Venezuela and move to Spain…I have made this decision thinking of Venezuela and that our destiny as a country cannot, should not be that of a conflict of pain and suffering…My commitment is not based on personal ambition; this decision is a gesture that extends a hand to all and I hope that as such it will be reciprocated. I am incompatible with resentment. Only the politics of dialogue can bring us back together as compatriots. Only democracy and the realization of the will of the people can be the path for our future as a country and I will remain committed to this.”
Last Monday, the Venezuelan Attorney General’s Office requested an arrest warrant against González for failing to comply with three Citizen Power subpoenas. According to the Attorney General’s office, the former presidential candidate is being investigated for six criminal charges, including the publication and maintenance of the web page that published alleged voting records, usurpation of functions, forgery of public documents, instigation to disobey laws, computer crimes, association to commit crimes and conspiracy.
However, according to reports, the Executive granted all the facilities for González to leave the country under the protection of the Spanish State and in accordance with international law.
Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez informed that “opposition citizen Edmundo González Urrutia, who had voluntarily taken refuge in the embassy of the Kingdom of Spain in Caracas several days ago, has left the country and requested political asylum from that government. In this sense, once the pertinent contacts between both governments have taken place, once the extremes of the case have been fulfilled and in compliance with international legality, Venezuela has granted the necessary safe conduct for the sake of the tranquility and political peace of the country. This conduct reaffirms the respect for the law that has prevailed in the actions of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the international community. In the coming hours, we will continue to inform.”
