Venezuela: Political Asylum in Spain for Gonzalez

Edmundo González Urrutia, the candidate who challenged Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela’s recent and contested elections, has received an arrest warrant issued by local authorities for “alleged crimes of usurpation of functions” and “falsification of public documents.” Gonzalez Urrutia, a 75-year-old former diplomat, according to the coalition that backed him, won the election with more than 70% of the vote, while Maduro officially emerged as the winner with just over 50% of preferences. A warrant for his arrest was issued September 2, and the charges relate to the July 28 presidential election voter rolls. Maduro has repeatedly said that González Urrutia “thinks he is above the law.”

For this reason, for several days, following protests related to Maduro’s controversial re-election, Gonzalez took refuge first in the Dutch embassy in Caracas, then in the Spanish embassy, where he asked for political asylum. And the government granted him a letter of protection “in the interest of political peace and tranquility in the country,” which allowed him to leave Venezuela.

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albarez immediately confirmed “naturally” that he would be granted political asylum and that González Urrutia left Venezuela on a Spanish plane, specifying also that Spain does not recognize Maduro’s electoral victory.