The authorities of Venezuela announced yesterday, Saturday evening (local time), that Edmundo González Urrutia, an opposition candidate who claims to have won the presidential elections on July 28 against Nicolás Maduro, has left the country for Spain after the Venezuelan authorities granted him the relevant permit.
Urrutia’s departure for Spain was confirmed by both his lawyer and the Spanish Foreign Minister.
“Today, September 7, Edmundo González Urrutia (…) left the country. After he voluntarily sought refuge a few days ago at the Spanish embassy in Caracas, he requested political asylum from the Spanish government,” wrote Vice President Delcy Rodríguez on social media.
“Venezuela granted the relevant permits in the interest of political peace and tranquility in the country,” she added.
The Vice President clarified that the permit for Urrutia’s departure was granted after “the appropriate contacts (…) between the two governments and after the necessary measures were taken in accordance with international law.”
Yesterday, Saturday, Venezuela recalled its approval for Brazil to represent Argentina’s interests in the country, managing among other things the Argentine embassy in Caracas, where six opposition figures have found refuge, the Venezuelan government reported.
Venezuela severed diplomatic relations with Argentina following the controversial elections on July 28. Brazil, along with Colombia and Mexico, has urged the Venezuelan government to release the full election results.
The government has not done so, and the country’s electoral authority announced that Maduro was re-elected for a third term.
Venezuela stated that its decision to cut diplomatic relations takes immediate effect and is due to evidence that the embassy was being used to plan attempts to assassinate Maduro and Rodríguez.
Brazil announced that it learned “with surprise” of the revocation of the permit to represent Argentina’s interests. Argentina stated that it rejects the “unilateral” decision. The two countries called on Maduro to respect the Vienna Convention governing diplomatic relations.
“Any attempt of invasion or kidnapping of asylum seekers who remain in our official residence will be categorically condemned by the international community,” Argentina stated in a release. “Actions like these strengthen the belief that in Maduro’s Venezuela, fundamental rights are not respected.”
A Brazilian diplomatic source stated yesterday afternoon that Venezuela assured Brazil that it would not invade the embassy. The Brazilian newspaper Globo also reported this, without naming a source.
In its statement, Brazil insists that it will continue to safeguard and defend Argentina’s interests until Argentina appoints another state acceptable to Venezuela to do so.
“The Brazilian government emphasizes in this context, based on the terms of the Vienna Convention, the inviolability of the Argentine diplomatic mission’s premises,” it stated, adding that it is hosting six Venezuelan asylum seekers, assets, and records.