Simon Hunter
SPANISH Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares has made his government’s position clear on the recent elections in Venezuela: “We do not recognise the victory of [Nicolas] Maduro.”
The minister’s comments, made during an interview with Spanish daily El Pais, came after it emerged that Spain had granted political asylum to opposition candidate at the recent polls, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia.
Gonzalez was the true winner of the July 28 elections held in the South American country according to election documents published by the opposition, but Maduro was declared the winner.
The opposition candidate took refuge last week in the Spanish embassy in Caracas, after a warrant for his arrest was issued on allegations that he had published documentation online that questioned the legitimacy of Maduro’s election win.
Read more: Spain grants political asylum to Venezuelan opposition politician Edmundo González
According to El Pais, secret negotiations had been going on for weeks to grant Gonzalez asylum in Spain, and on Thursday he was moved to the Spanish ambassador’s residence in Venezuela while safe conduct could be arranged for him and his wife.
Gonzalez was reported to have arrived in Spain on Saturday.
Minister Albares, meanwhile, made clear that no concessions had been made to Venezuela for Gonzalez’s safe passage to asylum.
“There was nothing offered in return, and there has not been any type of political negotiation between governments,” he told El Pais, speaking to the newspaper before and after Gonzalez’s asylum request was confirmed.
“Spain has not and will not change its position on the election results until the full records are made public,” he added.
Albares also confirmed that it was Gonzalez who requested asylum, and that for now, another opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, is yet to do the same.
“Spain has its doors open for whoever needs it, but I want to make it clear that María Corina Machado has not requested anything,” he told El Pais.
“We do this because Venezuelans are our brothers and because we are a country that does not neglect its Ibero-American family or its democratic values,” he added.
The minister also made clear that, for now, Spain would not only refuse to recognise Maduro’s victory, but also that of Gonzalez.
“The common policy [of the European Union] at the moment is to also not recognise Edmundo Gonzalez’s win […],” he said.
“What we need to achieve is a dialogue between the government and the opposition,” he added.
As for what will happen if Maduro takes possession of the presidency in January, as is expected, Albares said that Spain ‘will wait’.
“There is a margin of time during which all of us need to work. The only way out is still a peaceful solution between Venezuelans, a genuinely Venezuelan formula,” he said.
