Venezuela opposition leader Gonzalez flies to Spain after arrest warrant
CARACAS/MADRID, Sept 8 (Reuters) -Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez left for Spain overnight and was seeking asylum, officials said on Sunday, amid a mounting political and diplomatic crisis over the disputed results of July's election.
A plane carrying Gonzalez - who has challenged President Nicolas Maduro's declaration of victory - had stopped off in Portugal's Azores islands and was expected in Spain in the coming hours, Spanish media reported.
The dramatic exit of the 75-year-old - seen by the U.S., the EU and other powers in the region as the winner of the vote - came a week after Venezuelan authorities issued an arrest warrant for him, accusing him of conspiracy and other crimes.
"Today is a sad day for democracy in Venezuela," European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement. "In a democracy, no political leader should be forced to seek asylum in another country."
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said on Instagram authorities had given Gonzalez safe passage in a bid to restore "political peace".
He left Venezuela after "voluntarily seeking refuge in the Spanish embassy in Caracas several days ago," she wrote on Instagram.
Gonzalez took off from Caracas on a Spanish Air Force plane, Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares posted on X, saying Madrid was responding to a request from Gonzalez.
The move marked another jolting shift in the fortunes of Gonzalez, a former diplomat who came out of retirement and took over the candidacy in March, initially as a placeholder after opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and then another replacement could not stand.
Venezuela's opposition say the July 28 election resulted in a resounding victory for Gonzalez, and published vote tallies online that they say show he won.
Maduro had dismissed all such accusations and said there is a right-wing plot to sabotage his government.
EMBASSIES, TALKS
There was no immediate comment from the opposition coalition he represented on his departure or his movements since the arrest warrant was issued.
He had sought refuge in the Dutch and then the Spanish embassy in Venezuela, according to Dutch and Venezuelan officials.
Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said on Sunday that Gonzalez had urgently requested refuge in the Dutch embassy the day after the election.
"At the beginning of September, Edmundo Gonzalez indicated that he wanted to leave the residence and the country ... He indicated that he nevertheless wanted to leave and continue his fight from Spain", Veldkamp added.
Spanish officials, including former Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, held a week of negotiations with Venezuelan authorities, a source with knowledge of the talks told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Venezuelan security forces surrounded the Argentine embassy in the capital Caracas this weekend, where six Venezuelan political opposition figures opposed to President Nicolas Maduro are also staying.
Members of the Venezuelan opposition posted pictures and videos of security vehicles around the embassy complex.
Reporting by Belen Carreno and Corina Pons in Madrid, Anthony Deutsch in Amsterdam; Writing by Ana Cantero; Editing by Andrew Heavens
Últimas notícias
Isenção de Responsabilidade: As entidades do XM Group proporcionam serviço de apenas-execução e acesso à nossa plataforma online de negociação, permitindo a visualização e/ou uso do conteúdo disponível no website ou através deste, o que não se destina a alterar ou a expandir o supracitado. Tal acesso e uso estão sempre sujeitos a: (i) Termos e Condições; (ii) Avisos de Risco; e (iii) Termos de Responsabilidade. Este, é desta forma, fornecido como informação generalizada. Particularmente, por favor esteja ciente que os conteúdos da nossa plataforma online de negociação não constituem solicitação ou oferta para iniciar qualquer transação nos mercados financeiros. Negociar em qualquer mercado financeiro envolve um nível de risco significativo de perda do capital.
Todo o material publicado na nossa plataforma de negociação online tem apenas objetivos educacionais/informativos e não contém — e não deve ser considerado conter — conselhos e recomendações financeiras, de negociação ou fiscalidade de investimentos, registo de preços de negociação, oferta e solicitação de transação em qualquer instrumento financeiro ou promoção financeira não solicitada direcionadas a si.
Qual conteúdo obtido por uma terceira parte, assim como o conteúdo preparado pela XM, tais como, opiniões, pesquisa, análises, preços, outra informação ou links para websites de terceiras partes contidos neste website são prestados "no estado em que se encontram", como um comentário de mercado generalizado e não constitui conselho de investimento. Na medida em que qualquer conteúdo é construído como pesquisa de investimento, deve considerar e aceitar que este não tem como objetivo e nem foi preparado de acordo com os requisitos legais concebidos para promover a independência da pesquisa de investimento, desta forma, deve ser considerado material de marketing sob as leis e regulações relevantes. Por favor, certifique-se que leu e compreendeu a nossa Notificação sobre Pesquisa de Investimento não-independente e o Aviso de Risco, relativos à informação supracitada, os quais podem ser acedidos aqui.
