Opposition Leader Leaves Venezuela, Granted Political Asylum by Spain

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Header

Edmundo González faces arrest over charges of allegedly forging election documents and attempting to undermine Venezuela’s Electoral Council.

The vice president of Venezuela said on Saturday that opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia has left the country for political asylum in Spain.

González went into hiding days after the contested results of Venezuela’s July election were announced by the government-controlled National Electoral Council (NEC) on July 28, which declared President Nicolas Maduro the winner with 52 percent support without releasing detailed voting data.

Meanwhile, the opposition published detailed voting tallies from a majority of voting precincts online, which it says is evidence that González won by a convincing margin of over two-thirds. In response, Attorney General Tarek William Saab, a staunch Maduro ally, issued warrants for González’s arrest over charges of allegedly forging election documents and attempting to undermine the NEC.

González had failed to appear three times in connection to the criminal electoral sabotage investigation.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said on Saturday that González had left Venezuela from the Spanish embassy where he was seeking asylum.

“After taking refuge voluntarily at the Spanish embassy in Caracas a few days ago, [González] asked the Spanish government for political asylum,” she said on Instagram. She added that González’s request to leave the county had been granted by the government.

González’s lawyer Jose Vicente Haro also confirmed the opposition leader’s departure.

Spain’s foreign minister said González had requested asylum and that a Spanish air force plane was sent.

“Spain is committed to the political rights and physical integrity of all Venezuelans,” Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said in a statement.

González, 75, ran against Maduro in July as a widely unknown candidate who registered to run for president after the party’s president Maria Corina Machado was barred from running for public office in March by government authorities.

Experts from the United Nations and the Carter Center, which at the invitation of Maduro’s government observed the election, determined the results announced by electoral authorities lacked credibility. In a statement critical of the election, the U.N. experts stopped short of validating the opposition’s claim to victory, but they said the voting records it published online appear to exhibit all of the original security features.

By Melanie Sun

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

This Is America: Target™ Reparations

“This Is America” explores the cultural undercurrents pulling Western...

Blind Man’s Shutdown

Congress is playing the equivalent of Bind Man's Bluff. With the shout “tag your it” they seek to blame the other party for the government shutdown.

A Reluctant Acknowledgment: What Conservatives Can Admire in Everyday Progressives

Admirable ideological qualities seen in liberals and left-wing individuals are those of the everyday believer not their political leadership.

Ensuring Domestic Tranquility

The Supremacy Clause in Article VI of the U.S. Constitution establishes it as the highest law of the land, taking precedence over conflicting state laws.

Is There a 9/11 WTC and 9/10 Charlie Kirk Connection?

Strange parallels in online stories raise questions about whether Israelis and Mossad intelligence are our allies or adversaries.

Trump to Deploy 300 National Guard Members in Illinois, Pritzker Says

President Trump to deploy 300 National Guard members in Illinois after DHS said federal officers were rammed and fired upon near Chicago,

A Shooting Near Houston Suburb Leaves Two Children Dead and Two Others in Critical Condition

Two children were killed and two more were critically injured in a shooting early Saturday near the Houston suburb of Angleton, Texas, authorities said.

Trump Admin to Offer Stipends for Unaccompanied Illegal Immigrant Children Who Voluntarily Return Home

Trump admin is offering a $2,500 stipend to children who voluntarily return to their home countries after illegally entering U.S. unaccompanied.

Rite Aid Closes Last Store, Ending Decades-Long Run as One of America’s Biggest Pharmacy Chains

Rite Aid, one of the largest pharmacy chains in the country, has permanently closed the last of its locations after struggling with bankruptcy for years.

Department of Energy Cancels $7.5 Billion in Project Funding

The Dept of Energy (DOE) said on Oct. 2 that it had terminated 321 federal grants funding 223 projects, amounting to about $7.56 billion in cuts.

White House Withdraws EJ Antoni’s Nomination to Lead Bureau of Labor Statistics

The White House has withdrawn economist EJ Antoni’s nomination to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the White House confirmed on Sept. 30.

US to Impose 100 Percent Tariffs on Foreign-Made Movies, Trump Says

President Donald Trump announced on Sept. 29 that he will impose a 100 percent tariff on all movies produced outside the United States.

Trump to Host Netanyahu at White House to Discuss Gaza Peace Plan

President Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu at the White House on Sept. 29 to discuss a ceasefire and broader peace plan for Gaza.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central