Spain did Maduro a ‘favour’ by granting asylum to opposition leader, centre-right PP argues

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro must be "celebrating" Spain's decision to grant asylum to Edmundo González Urrutia – the opposition's widely recognised winner of the July 28 elections – the leader of Spain's People's Party (Partido Popular/EPP), Alberto Núñez Feijóo said on Monday (9 September).

In an interview aired by private television station Antena 3, the chief of Spain’s centre-right opposition in parliament implied that by granting asylum to Venezuelan opposition leader González Urrutia, the Spanish government under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez (PSOE/S&D) has indirectly eased a major source of tension for Maduro. The Venezuelan government has yet to publish the official electoral results.

"Mr Maduro is much happier than he was yesterday. He has ensured that whoever won the election is out. Who won? Maduro. Who lost? Venezuelan democracy," the PP leader said.

Venezuela's Supreme Court (TSJ) validated in August the results of the elections, in which Maduro supposedly won, although both the opposition – currently led in the country by María Corina Machado – and numerous international observers, including the Carter Foundation, contest the result.

“The democratic politician who won the elections has had to leave the country, and the dictator who lost them is still in control of the [Venezuelan] government," Núñez Feijóo stated.

On the other hand, Núñez Feijóo criticised the Spanish government for not recognising González Urrutia’s victory and said that if in power, he would have done three things:

"I would give him political asylum, the title of elected president, and call for Maduro's arrest. Political asylum, yes, but to the elected president of Venezuela," Núñez Feijóo stressed.

No ‘quid pro quo’ between Caracas and Madrid

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares (PSOE) told El País and Onda Cero radio on Monday that there has been no "exchange" or "negotiation" between Madrid and Caracas to allow the former presidential candidate to leave his country.

"The reception [in Spain] of Edmundo González has no counterpart. Spain does not recognise Maduro's victory," Albares stressed.

However, on Sunday, Venezuela's Executive Vice President Delcy Rodríguez contradicted this, claiming that Caracas had engaged in “extensive talks” with Spain.

“Extensive talks and contacts took place to facilitate the departure of opposition leader González Urrutia from the country with the full guarantees offered by a safe-conduct, a product of the agreement between the two governments," Rodríguez stated on her Telegram channel.

Meanwhile, on the same day, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell described González Urrutia’s departure as a defeat to democracy in Venezuela.

“Today [Sunday, 8 September] is a sad day for democracy in Venezuela," Borrell said while recalling “the repression, political persecution and direct threats against his [the opposition leader's] security and freedom”.

Similarly, on Friday (6 September), some 30 former Latin American heads of government called on the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to “immediately arrest and detain” Maduro, his number two Diosdado Cabello, and the country's entire chain of command, Euractiv's partner EFE reported.

On Tuesday (10 September), the Spanish parliament is scheduled to debate a proposal tabled by the PP demanding that Madrid officially recognise González Urrutia as the winner of Venezuela's elections.

[Edited by Martina Monti]