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Venezuela Opposition Leader Gonzalez Lands in Spain Seeking Asylum

28 July 2024, Venezuela, Caracas: The presidential candidate of the Venezuelan opposition, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, arrives at the Santo Tomas de Villanueva school to cast his vote during the presidential elections. (dpa)
28 July 2024, Venezuela, Caracas: The presidential candidate of the Venezuelan opposition, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, arrives at the Santo Tomas de Villanueva school to cast his vote during the presidential elections. (dpa)
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Venezuela Opposition Leader Gonzalez Lands in Spain Seeking Asylum

28 July 2024, Venezuela, Caracas: The presidential candidate of the Venezuelan opposition, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, arrives at the Santo Tomas de Villanueva school to cast his vote during the presidential elections. (dpa)
28 July 2024, Venezuela, Caracas: The presidential candidate of the Venezuelan opposition, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, arrives at the Santo Tomas de Villanueva school to cast his vote during the presidential elections. (dpa)

Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez flew into Spain on Sunday to seek asylum, Madrid said, hours after quitting his country amid a political and diplomatic crisis over July's disputed election.

Gonzalez - who has challenged President Nicolas Maduro's declaration of victory - arrived at the Torrejon de Ardoz military base with his wife, Spain's foreign ministry said in a statement.

The dramatic exit of the 75-year-old - seen by the US, the EU and other powers in the region as the winner of the vote - came a week after Venezuelan authorities issued an arrest warrant for him, accusing him of conspiracy and other crimes.

"Today is a sad day for democracy in Venezuela," European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement. "In a democracy, no political leader should be forced to seek asylum in another country."

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said on Instagram authorities had given Gonzalez safe passage in a bid to restore "political peace".

He left Venezuela after "voluntarily seeking refuge in the Spanish embassy in Caracas several days ago," she wrote.

Venezuela's opposition say the July 28 election resulted in a resounding victory for Gonzalez, and published vote tallies online that they say show he won.

Maduro has dismissed all such assertions and says there was a right-wing plot to sabotage his government.

Gonzalez's move to Spain marked another jolting shift in the fortunes of the former diplomat who came out of retirement and took over the candidacy in March, initially as a placeholder after opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and then another replacement could not stand.

Machado confirmed on X that Gonzalez was now in Spain.

She added that it was "necessary for our cause to preserve his freedom, his integrity and his life" after "increasing threats, summons, arrest warrants and even the blackmail and coercion attempts" by the Venezuelan government. There was no immediate reaction to her statement by the authorities.

EMBASSIES, TALKS

Spain's foreign ministry said Gonzalez's asylum process would now start - "the resolution of which will be favorable in view of Spain's commitment to the political rights and physical integrity of all Venezuelan men and women, especially political leaders".

Gonzalez had sought refuge in the Dutch and then the Spanish embassy in Venezuela after the election, Dutch and Venezuelan officials said.

Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said in a letter to his parliament on Sunday that Gonzalez had urgently requested refuge in the Dutch embassy the day after the election.

"At the beginning of September, Edmundo Gonzalez indicated that he ... wanted to leave and continue his fight from Spain", Veldkamp added.

Spanish officials, including former Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, held a week of negotiations with Venezuelan authorities for Gonzalez to leave the country, a source with knowledge of the talks told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. 

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US, UK Stress Intelligence Partnership to Face Unprecedented Threats

MI6 chief Richard Moore and CIA director Bill Burns speaking at the FT weekend festival on Saturday. (Reuters)
MI6 chief Richard Moore and CIA director Bill Burns speaking at the FT weekend festival on Saturday. (Reuters)
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US, UK Stress Intelligence Partnership to Face Unprecedented Threats

MI6 chief Richard Moore and CIA director Bill Burns speaking at the FT weekend festival on Saturday. (Reuters)
MI6 chief Richard Moore and CIA director Bill Burns speaking at the FT weekend festival on Saturday. (Reuters)

Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency, Bill Burns and chief of the UK Secret Intelligence Service, Richard Moore highlighted on Saturday the importance of partnership between the two countries to face an unprecedented array of threats, with reference to Russia, China and Islamic groups.

Their comments came at the FT Weekend Festival, days before British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to Washington, where he will meet with US President Joe Biden.

“Today, we cooperate in a contested international system where our two countries face an unprecedented array of threats,” they said.

It is the first time the two heads have appeared together at a public event.

Both Burns and Moore discussed the war in Ukraine. They said the CIA and MI6 stand together in resisting an assertive Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine.

“Staying the course is more vital than ever,” the two officials said.

Speaking on Ukraine’s surprise offensive into Russia’s Kursk border region, Moore expressed that Kyiv's surprise decision to seize territory in Russia's Kursk region was “a typically bold and brave move by Ukrainians to try to change the game.”

Moore then cautioned it was “too early” to say how long Kyiv’s forces would be able to control the Russian territory they had seized.

For his part, Burns said Kursk was “a significant tactical achievement” that had boosted Ukrainian morale.

But while he said it had exposed the Russian military's vulnerabilities, he did not see any evidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin's grip on power was weakening.

Moore and Burns said the two spy agencies will continue to work together to disrupt the reckless campaign of sabotage across Europe being waged by Russian intelligence.

For both the CIA and MI6, “the rise of China is the principal intelligence and geopolitical challenge of the 21st century, and we have reorganized our services to reflect that priority.”

The pair also explained how they were now using advanced AI and cloud technologies to harness the vast troves of data they collect.

The spy chiefs also said that partnership lies at the beating heart of the special relationship between their countries. “Two years ago, we celebrated 75 years of partnership; 75 years since the CIA was founded in 1947,” they said.

They also stressed that the CIA and MI6 stand together in resisting an assertive Russia and Putin’s war of aggression in Ukraine.

“We will continue to aid our brave, resolute Ukrainian intelligence partners,” they said.

Beyond Ukraine, Burns and Moore said they continue to work together to disrupt the “reckless” campaign of sabotage across Europe being waged by Russian intelligence, and “its cynical use of technology to spread lies and disinformation designed to drive wedges between them.”

Russia has denied those allegations.

Burns and Moore said their agencies have reorganized to confront a growing challenge from China, which they described as the principal intelligence and geopolitical concern of the 21st century.

They also emphasized their efforts to use intelligence to promote restraint and de-escalation in the Middle East, including working toward a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Burns is leading US negotiations to resolve the conflict and address humanitarian issues.

The White House said on Friday that US President Joe Biden will host British PM Starmer on September 13.

Starmer’s visit to the White House, his second since taking office in July, will also focus on the “special relationship” between London and Washington, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

Biden and Starmer will discuss “continuing robust support to Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression” and “securing a hostage release and ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza,” said Jean-Pierre.

Biden and Starmer will also discuss attacks on shipping by Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi militias and, in a reference to countering Chinese influence, ensuring a “free and open” Asia-Pacific region.

The meeting is set against the backdrop of diverging policies between the US and the UK on the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Last week, the UK announced it would suspend around 30 permits of export of some arms to Israel because of the risk that they could be used in non-compliance with international humanitarian law.