ANDThe Government of Socialist Pedro Sánchez demanded an apology from the right on Friday for his “slanders” regarding the departure of Edmundo González from Caracas, after the Venezuelan opposition clarified that it was not coerced by the Spanish Executive to leave his country.
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The circumstances surrounding González’s departure and his arrival in Spain to request asylum sparked an escalation of tension between the Socialists and the conservative opposition, who accused the government of “coercing” the Venezuelan candidate into signing a document in which he recognised Nicolás Maduro’s electoral victory before leaving Venezuela.
Amidst the controversy, Edmundo González issued a statement on Thursday night in which he said that “I have not been coerced by the Government of Spain or by the Spanish ambassador in Venezuela, Ramón Santos.”
The arrangements for the transfer, he added, “were supervised and facilitated directly by the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, ensuring my well-being and freedom of choice at all times.”
The Chancellor’s statements
In view of the statement, Albares today demanded an “apology” from the opposition Popular Party for the “insulting and slanderous” statementsbecause the “only” thing the Spanish embassy in Caracas did was “provide protection to Edmundo González and guarantee a space where he felt safe, where he felt calm.”
Albares was responding to the Popular Party, which on Thursday called for his resignation and accused President Pedro Sánchez of being a “necessary collaborator” in events that it described as a “coup d’état” in Venezuela.
“Thank you Edmundo González Urrutia for defending the truth against slander and insults against Spain and its foreign service,” the Foreign Minister posted in a message on X.
Despite the clarification from the Venezuelan opposition leader, the PP insisted on Friday on calling for the resignation of Minister Albares and demanding that the Government recognise Edmundo González as the elected president.
González Urrutia arrived in Spain on the 8th to request asylum after reporting fraud in the elections held in July in his country, in which Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner by the National Electoral Council (CNE) although the official minutes have not been published.
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