Government authorizes consular protection for detained Spaniards
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, said today that the Spanish government received authorization from the Venezuelan Executive on Friday to the two Spaniards who are arrested in the South American country receive consular protection.
Albares, in an interview with the Basque channel ETB, referred to the situation of Andrés Martínez Adasme and José María Basoa Valdovinos, the two residents of Bilbao (north) who have been detained in Venezuela since September. accused of being part of an alleged US-led operation to assassinate Nicolás Maduro.
The minister acknowledged that on Friday a “verbal note” was received from the Venezuelan government authorizing it to offer the two Spanish citizens “consular protection”, which will allow them to have access to a lawyer.
He also expressed his confidence that “they will return to their families in the Basque Country as soon as possible.”
The announcement of the arrest of the two Spanish citizens occurred at a time of diplomatic tension between Madrid and Caracas due to the arrival in Spain of the Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González, who has requested asylum in the European country after denouncing fraud in the elections of the 28th. July, in which according to Chavismo President Nicolás Maduro prevailed.
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