The Spanish Air Force plane that was transporting the Venezuelan opposition leader to Spain Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia landed at Torrejón de Ardoz Air Base (Madrid) at around 4:00 p.m. (14:00 GMT).
According to the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, González, who is traveling accompanied by his wife and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Global Affairs, Diego Martínez Belío, was received by the Secretary of State for Ibero-America and Spanish in the World, Susana Sumelzo.
«From now on, the process for requesting asylum will begin, the resolution of which will be favourable in the interest of Spain’s commitment to the political rights and physical integrity of all Venezuelans, especially political leaders.»the department reported.
González Urrutia was the candidate of the largest anti-Chavez political group in the presidential elections last July, which according to the official result endorsed by the Supreme Court were won by President Nicolás Maduro.
Asylum
Venezuelan justice had ordered the arrest of Edmundo González after he ignored three summons from the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which accuses him of various crimes for publishing voting records on the Internet that would give him the victory, as the opposition denounces a “major electoral fraud.”
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares had informed the press hours earlier that Spain would grant the opposition leader the asylum he had requested.
Projection the Spanish Government’s commitment to “political rights, freedom of expression and demonstration and the physical integrity of all Venezuelans”.
Albares stressed that the decision was taken at the request of the opposition leader and when he believed it appropriate to leave Venezuela after spending some time at the residence of the Spanish embassy in Caracas, although he said he could not give further details on the matter.
In this regard, Spanish diplomatic sources assured that there has been no negotiation between the Spanish and Venezuelan governments, nor between Pedro Sánchez and Nicolás Maduro directly.
Peaceful exit
Albares insisted that Spain’s position on the situation in Venezuela has not changed and continues to demand the presentation of the electoral records of the last presidential elections so that they can be verified because, otherwise, no supposed victory can be recognized.
The determination is that there is a peaceful and “genuinely Venezuelan” way out The result of dialogue and negotiation between the Maduro government and the opposition. EFE
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