By Luis De Jesus
Sep 10, 2024, 6:25 PM EDT
Spain’s Congress is preparing to recognise Edmundo González as the legitimate president of Venezuela, following the expected approval of a proposal put forward by the Popular Party, with the support of some allies of the socialist government.
This decision would leave Pedro Sánchez’s government in a minority, highlighting the deep differences within the government bloc, reports the Efe news agency.
Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo, a PP deputy and staunch defender of the Venezuelan opposition, presented the initiative in the midst of a fierce confrontation between the left and the right.
In the guest gallery were Leopoldo López, Antonio Ledezma and Carolina González, daughter of candidate Edmundo González, who visibly supported the proposal.
Álvarez de Toledo argued that González won the July elections in Venezuela with 67% of the votes, based on electoral records collected by citizens and published on the internet.
An “armed electoral robbery”
He also cited United Nations reports to denounce what he called an “armed theft of elections,” mentioning the repression, arbitrary arrests and torture that have been documented in the South American country.
From the socialist side, Cristina Narbona urged to seek real solutions and not create false expectations.
He said that recognising Gonzalez would not magically resolve the crisis in Venezuela and recalled that no European Union government, not even the conservatives, has proposed such a measure.
Despite this argument, the Popular Party insisted that Spain had already broken with the European consensus in the past by recognising Palestine as a state.
The Basque Nationalist Party, a regular ally of the Socialist government, will support the conservatives this time, saying that the failure of the proposal would be seen as a moral victory for the regime of Nicolás Maduro.
As the debate was taking place, hundreds of Venezuelan opposition members gathered in front of Congress demanding recognition of Edmundo González’s victory.
In a message read by his daughter Carolina, the opposition leader reaffirmed his commitment to the fight for freedom in Venezuela, while he waits in Spain for the approval of his request for political asylum, after having been persecuted by the Venezuelan justice system.
Continue reading:
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• María Corina Machado urges the world to recognize Edmundo González as president-elect