Former Candidate González Signed Letter Acknowledging Judicial Upholding of Maduro Victory

Caracas, September 19, 2024 (venezuelanalysis.com) – US-backed former presidential candidate Edmundo González signed a letter acknowledging the judicial ruling that upheld President Nicolás Maduro’s victory on July 28 before departing for Spain earlier this month.

On Wednesday, Venezuelan National Assembly (AN) President Jorge Rodríguez revealed the document —which was meant to be confidential— during a press conference to dispel doubts about González’s self-imposed exile. He denounced that the opposition figure had broken the agreement to limit political activity once in Spain.

Dated September 7, the letter was signed just a day before González left for Spain after being granted safe conduct by the Maduro government.

In the letter addressed to Rodríguez, the 75-year-old González stated that while he did not agree with the ruling, he would respect the August decision of Venezuela’s Supreme Court (TSJ), which upheld the official results from the National Electoral Council (CNE) confirming Maduro’s third term.

González also pledged “not to exercise any formal or informal representation of the public powers of the Venezuelan State” during his time in Spain and promised to respect Venezuelan institutions.

In the two-page letter, he emphasized that his decision to leave Venezuela was voluntary, aimed at “promoting peace and fostering political dialogue,” and noted that “arrangements for safe passage” had been established between Venezuelan and Spanish authorities.

Previously, Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares had denied negotiations with Venezuelan authorities, stating he had connected with González directly.

Rodríguez, the chief negotiator for the Maduro government, shared photos from the meeting with González at the Spanish embassy in Caracas, where the letter was received. The meeting also included Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez and Spanish Ambassador Ramón Santos Martínez.

“There was no circumstance in which Mr. González Urrutia could have felt pressured. On the contrary, he approached us to discuss his decision to leave Venezuela and request political asylum in Spain,” Rodríguez clarified. He noted that González had invited the government officials to the Spanish residence following several phone conversations.

Before fleeing, González had taken refuge in the Embassy of Spain after the Venezuelan Attorney General’s Office issued an arrest warrant against him. He faced multiple charges, including usurpation of functions, forgery of public documents, conspiracy, sabotage, and criminal association, stemming from his efforts to promote the opposition’s claims that he was the rightful winner of the July 28 presidential elections.

González had been relatively unknown until his last-minute addition to the presidential ballot as a stand-in for US-backed far-right opposition leader María Corina Machado, who was barred from running following a Supreme Court ruling.

In a video statement published on Wednesday, González said he was forced to sign the document accepting Maduro’s victory through “coercion, blackmail and pressure” and that the letter was “worthless” due to a “serious lack of consent.”

In response, the Maduro government threatened to release audio recordings of its negotiations with González unless he retracted his statements. As of this writing, no further actions have been taken.

Since arriving in Spain, González has engaged in various public and political activities that go against the agreement made with the Venezuelan government. Recently, he met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, former Prime Minister José María Aznar, and other prominent Spanish politicians.

On September 11, the Spanish Congress of Deputies held a symbolic vote to recognize González as the winner of Venezuela’s election and urged the Sánchez government to do the same. In response, the Spanish president affirmed that his administration would adhere to the common position of the European Union.

A similar resolution was passed by the European Parliament on Thursday, declaring González as Venezuela’s “legitimate and democratically elected president.” This resolution, which received support from far-right factions, is not binding to EU member states.

These recent developments have strained relations between Venezuela and Spain. On September 13, Caracas recalled its ambassador to Spain, Gladys Gutiérrez, for consultations and summoned the Spanish ambassador to Venezuela, Ramón Santos Martínez, to protest against “meddling actions” from Madrid.

On September 17, González had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who reiterated Washington’s commitment to supporting the far-right Venezuelan opposition. Recently, the Biden administration also imposed new individual sanctions against high-ranking Venezuelan officials.

Edited by Ricardo Vaz.