Jorge Rodríguez challenges Edmundo González

The president of the 2020 National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, gave this Wednesday a deadline of 24 hours to the candidate of the majority opposition, Edmundo González Urrutia, to deny the accusation of coercion by the government to sign the document that confirmed his exile to Spain.

“If you insist that this is coercion, I will show you the behind-the-scenes of the conversations,” Rodríguez said at a press conference, in which he presented a letter signed by González, in which he “voluntarily” complied with the ruling of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) that validated the controversial victory of Nicolás Maduro in the presidential elections of July 28.

“If in the next 24 hours you do not deny this unfortunate accusation you have made, I will show you the evidence of the conversations that you and I had face to face.insisted the spokesman for Chavismo, who showed photographs of his meeting with the opposition before his trip to Madrid, at the residence of the Spanish Embassy in Caracas.

#World | Jorge Rodríguez calls Edmundo González a “coward” for accusing him of “coercion,” says he has evidence to the contrary and assures that he will publish it if the exiled Venezuelan opposition leader does not deny his claims in the next 24 hours.

Details in… pic.twitter.com/Rx1BzyGXTm

— Red+ News (@RedMasNoticias) September 18, 2024

Rodríguez explained that these tests are “audios” that he decided to keep, because, he said, “there was a possibility that (González) would deny the truth,” referring to the letter, in which the “commitment” of the opposition leader was written. not to assume representation of the public powers of Venezuela abroad.

In a video spread through social networksGonzález Urrutia, exiled since September 8 in Spain, said that he signed the document and that it was presented by representatives of the Maduro government under the threat that if he did not do so he would have to “face the consequences”a “coercion” that in his opinion nullifies the text, and which he had already denounced upon his arrival in Madrid ten days ago.

This letter served as a guarantee for the Venezuelan authorities to issue safe-conduct passes so that the 75-year-old diplomat – who is subject to an arrest warrant in Venezuela – could travel to the airport and take the flight on a Spanish Air Force plane, which finally took him to Spain, where he has requested political asylum.

#Release to Venezuelans to inform them of the whole truth of what happened with my departure from Venezuela pic.twitter.com/SULvChfo9n

— Edmundo González (@EdmundoGU) September 18, 2024