Edmundo González formally requested political asylum in Spain

Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González has formally requested political asylum this week in Spainas announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, before the Foreign Commission of the Congress of Deputies.

González arrived in Spain on September 8 on a Spanish Air Force plane chartered by the government after having expressed his desire to request asylum and having stayed several days at the residence of the Spanish ambassador in Caracas, after spending a month in the of the Dutch ambassador.

After discrediting “the partisan and political use that some make of the dramatic situation that the Venezuelan people are experiencing,” Albares has argued that the Edmundo González’s decision to request asylum “was his personal and free decision,” as he himself confirmed in a statement.

“And this government welcomed Edmundo González as in the past it welcomed Leopoldo López and so many others for humanitarian reasons,” the minister argued.

«The arrival of Edmundo González to Spain is a gesture of humanity and civil commitment of Spanish society and its Government. And thanks to that humanitarian gesture, Edmundo González is today free in Spain and not detained in Venezuela,” where there was an arrest warrant against him, he defended.

Spain can now assist the two Spaniards detained in Venezuela

On the other hand, Albares has announced that the Venezuelan government finally has authorized that consular attention can be provided to the two detained Spaniards for his alleged involvement in a plot to destabilize Nicolás Maduro orchestrated by the opposition.

Today, the minister explained: “Venezuela has told us by note verbale that we can exercise the appropriate consular protection” as had been requested since his arrest became known. Albares has stressed that both are “unfairly detained” and has made it clear that he will take “all the steps” within his power “so that as soon as possible they are where they have always had to be, in our country, with their families.”