<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured <em>The Diplomat</em> today that the Spanish Government “has nothing to do” with any negotiations between the Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia and the Nicolás Maduro regime to obtain permission to leave the country.</strong></h4> González Urrutia, who has been exiled in Spain since September 8 to request political asylum, revealed yesterday that, during his stay at the residence of the Spanish ambassador in Caracas, representatives of the Government of Nicolás Maduro made him sign a document 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. In a video broadcast through his social networks, González Urrutia responded in this way to the presentation by the president of the National Assembly of Venezuela, Jorge Rodríguez, of a “signed letter” in which the opposition leader says he abides by the decision of the Supreme Court of Justice of his country to validate Maduro's victory in the elections of July 28. According to the opposition leader, while he was sheltered in the residence of the Spanish ambassador in Caracas, he was presented with a document that he had to sign to obtain the safe conduct that would allow him to leave Venezuela for exile. “A document produced under duress is vitiated by absolute nullity due to a serious breach of consent,” he added. PP leaders yesterday demanded explanations from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, in order to “clarify the accusations” of Edmundo González. They want him to say whether Spain “granted political asylum to the man who won the elections once the regime managed to blackmail him and get from him what they wanted with threats and coercion.” According to the PP, the Government of Pedro Sánchez, who has said that “he did not negotiate anything with the regime” of Maduro, “allowed the entry” into the Spanish embassy “of two high-ranking officials of the Venezuelan dictatorship so that they could threaten González on Spanish soil.” In this regard, official sources from Foreign Ministry assured <em>The Diplomat</em> today that the Government of Spain “has nothing to do with any document or negotiation between Edmundo González and the Government of Venezuela.” “When Edmundo González requested to be welcomed at the residence of the Spanish ambassador, he was guaranteed that he could see him or make any arrangements he decided to make in relation to his situation,” they continued. “The Minister of Foreign Affairs gave direct instructions to the ambassador not to interfere in any arrangements that the opposition leader might make,” they concluded.
