Venezuela opposition candidate Gonzalez leaves for Spain as diplomatic tensions rise
Venezuela's vice president says that former presidential opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez has left the country
Venezuela claims embassy used to plan assassination attempts
Brazil insists on defending Argentine interests until new state is chosen
Brazil and Argentina urge Venezuela to respect the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations
Argentina's Foreign Ministry asks ICC to issue arrest warrant against Maduro
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By Lisandra Paraguassu and Vivian Sequera
BRASILIA/CARACAS, Sept 7 (Reuters) -Venezuela's former presidential opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez has left for Spain in the wake of the South American country's contested election, Venezuelan and Spanish officials said on Saturday night after a day of rising diplomatic tensions.
Gonzalez, 75, who ran against President Nicolas Maduro in July, left after "voluntarily seeking refuge in the Spanish embassy in Caracas several days ago," Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez posted on Instagram.
"Edmundo Gonzalez has taken off from Caracas heading to Spain on a Spanish Air Force plane," Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares posted on X, saying Madrid was responding to a request from Gonzalez.
Gonzalez's exit from Venezuela is the latest political development since the country's election on July 28. Democracies around the world have criticized the Venezuelan government's handling of the vote, which election officials and its top court say was won by Maduro.
Venezuela's opposition say the election resulted in a resounding victory for Gonzalez, and published vote tallies online that they say show he won.
This week prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for Gonzalez in connection to the online publication of the tallies, accusing him of usurping functions, falsifying public documents and conspiracy, among other charges.
Earlier on Saturday, Venezuela's government revoked Brazil's authorization to represent Argentine interests in the country, including administering the embassy where six opposition figures are sheltering.
Venezuela broke relations with Argentina after the presidential election. Brazil, like Colombia and Mexico, has asked the Venezuelan government to publish the full results of the vote.
The government has not done so and the country's electoral authority said Maduro won re-election for a third term.
In a statement, Venezuela said the decision, effective immediately, was due to proof that the embassy was being used to plan assassination attempts against Maduro and Rodriguez.
Brazil said it had received the communication that its authorization had been revoked "with surprise." Argentina said it rejected the "unilateral" decision. Both countries urged Maduro to respect the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
"Any attempt to invade or kidnap asylum seekers who remain in our official residence will be harshly condemned by the international community," Argentina said in a statement. "Actions like these reinforce the conviction that in Maduro's Venezuela, fundamental human rights are not respected."
A Brazilian diplomatic source said on Saturday afternoon that Venezuela had assured Brazil it would not invade the embassy.
In its statement, Brazil insisted it would remain in custody and defense of Argentine interests until Argentina indicated another state acceptable to Venezuela to do so.
"The Brazilian government highlights in this context, under the terms of the Vienna Conventions, the inviolability of the facilities of the Argentine diplomatic mission," it said, adding that it housed six Venezuelan asylum seekers, assets and archives.
The escalation in the spat between the South American countries was first reported by Reuters.
In March, six people sought asylum in the Argentine embassy in Caracas after a prosecutor ordered their arrest on charges including conspiracy. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has denied the allegations against her collaborators.
On Friday night, some opposition members in the Argentine residence reported on their X accounts that the building was under surveillance and had no electricity. They posted videos showing men dressed in black and patrols from the government intelligence agency, SEBIN.
Argentina's Foreign Ministry asked the International Criminal Court on Friday to issue an arrest warrant against Maduro and other senior government officials for events that occurred after the elections.
Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu in Brasilia and Vivian Sequera in Caracas; Additional reporting by Jorge Otaola in Buenos Aires; Writing by Alexander Villegas, Stefanie Eschenbacher and Oliver Griffin; Editing by Franklin Paul, Sonali Paul and William Mallard
آخر الأخبار
إخلاء المسؤولية: تتيح كيانات XM Group خدمة تنفيذية فقط والدخول إلى منصة تداولنا عبر الإنترنت، مما يسمح للشخص بمشاهدة و/أو استخدام المحتوى المتاح على موقع الويب أو عن طريقه، وهذا المحتوى لا يراد به التغيير أو التوسع عن ذلك. يخضع هذا الدخول والاستخدام دائماً لما يلي: (1) الشروط والأحكام؛ (2) تحذيرات المخاطر؛ (3) إخلاء المسؤولية الكامل. لذلك يُقدم هذا المحتوى على أنه ليس أكثر من معلومات عامة. تحديداً، يرجى الانتباه إلى أن المحتوى المتاح على منصة تداولنا عبر الإنترنت ليس طلباً أو عرضاً لدخول أي معاملات في الأسواق المالية. التداول في أي سوق مالي به مخاطرة عالية برأس مالك.
جميع المواد المنشورة على منصة تداولنا مخصصة للأغراض التعليمية/المعلوماتية فقط ولا تحتوي - ولا ينبغي اعتبار أنها تحتوي - على نصائح أو توصيات مالية أو ضريبية أو تجارية، أو سجلاً لأسعار تداولنا، أو عرضاً أو طلباً لأي معاملة في أي صكوك مالية أو عروض ترويجية مالية لا داعي لها.
أي محتوى تابع للغير بالإضافة إلى المحتوى الذي أعدته XM، مثل الآراء، والأخبار، والأبحاث، والتحليلات والأسعار وغيرها من المعلومات أو روابط مواقع تابعة للغير وواردة في هذا الموقع تُقدم لك "كما هي"، كتعليق عام على السوق ولا تعتبر نصيحة استثمارية. يجب ألا يُفسر أي محتوى على أنه بحث استثماري، وأن تلاحظ وتقبل أن المحتوى غير مُعدٍ وفقاً للمتطلبات القانونية المصممة لتعزيز استقلالية البحث الاستثماري، وبالتالي، فهو بمثابة تواصل تسويقي بموجب القوانين واللوائح ذات الصلة. فضلاً تأكد من أنك قد قرأت وفهمت الإخطار بالبحوث الاستثمارية غير المستقلة والتحذير من مخاطر المعلومات السابقة، والذي يمكنك الاطلاع عليه هنا.
