Edmundo González Urrutía, the elected president of Venezuela, has arrived in Spain this Sunday to begin his exile after a brutal wave of repression unleashed by Nicolás Maduro’s regime. González landed at the Torrejón de Ardoz military base in Madrid, accompanied by his wife, after taking refuge at the residences of the Dutch and Spanish ambassadors in Caracas.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares confirmed that González flew aboard a Spanish Air Force plane, stating that the Spanish government is committed to protecting the political rights and safety of Venezuelans.
Edmundo González, a solicitud suya, vuela hacia España en un avión de las Fuerzas Aéreas españolas.
El Gobierno de España está comprometido con los derechos políticos y la integridad física de todos los venezolanos.
— José Manuel Albares (@jmalbares) September 8, 2024
X post translation:
Edmundo González, at his own request, flies to Spain on a Spanish Air Force plane. The Government of Spain is committed to the political rights and physical integrity of all Venezuelans.
González, who faced threats, blackmail, and an attempted arrest after winning the July 28, 2024 elections, will now have to request political asylum in Spain. With over 1,700 political prisoners and Maduro’s regime attempting to invalidate the election results, the political climate in Venezuela remains tense. It is expected that González will continue leading the opposition from exile while María Corina Machado remains in Venezuela, resisting the regime’s repression.
A los venezolanos,
Edmundo González Urrutía, Presidente electo de Venezuela ha salido del país y se encuentra en España.
A partir de nuestra histórica victoria del 28 de julio de 2024, el régimen desató una brutal ola de represión en contra de todos los ciudadanos,…
— María Corina Machado (@MariaCorinaYA) September 8, 2024
X post translation:
To the Venezuelans,
Edmundo González Urrutía, President-elect of Venezuela, has left the country and is in Spain.
Following our historic victory on July 28, 2024, the regime unleashed a brutal wave of repression against all citizens, classified as State terrorism by the IACHR, which included all types of attacks against the President-elect and those around him.
His life was in danger, and the increasing threats, summons, arrest warrants and even attempts at blackmail and coercion to which he has been subjected, demonstrate that the regime has no scruples and no limits in its obsession with silencing him and trying to subdue him.
Faced with this brutal reality, it is necessary for our cause to preserve his freedom, his integrity and his life.
This operation by the regime and its allies is further evidence of their criminal nature, which delegitimizes and sinks them more and more every day. But, once again, they were wrong. Their attempted coup against Popular Sovereignty will not come to fruition.
On January 10, 2025, President-Elect Edmundo González Urrutía will be sworn in as Constitutional President of Venezuela and Commander-in-Chief of the National Armed Forces.
Let this be very clear to everyone: Edmundo will fight from outside alongside our diaspora and I will continue to do so here, alongside you.
Serenity, courage and firmness!
Venezuelans, this fight is UNTIL THE END and victory is ours.
Machado has affirmed that, despite González’s exile, “on January 10, 2025, he will be sworn in as the Constitutional President of Venezuela,” ensuring that the fight for democracy will continue both inside and outside the country.
BREAKING Vice president Delcy Rodríguez from Venezuela posted on her Instagram that @EdmundoGU sought asylum at the Spanish Embassy in Caracas and has been granted a safe passage by Maduro “for the sake of tranquility and political peace in the country. Info not confirmed pic.twitter.com/TPnr42XEVy
— Gateway Hispanic (@GatewayHispanic) September 8, 2024
Original by Maria Herrera Mellado at Gateway Hispanic.