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On Saturday night, FM Yvan Gil confirmed that Edmundo Gonzalez left Venezuelan territory of his own accord.

On Sunday, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez reiterated that Venezuela held talks with Spain regarding the departure of far-right former presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, while the Spanish government denies any political negotiation between the two nations.

“Extensive discussions and contacts took place to operationalize the departure of the opposition figure Gonzalez from the country, with the full guarantees provided by a safe-conduct agreement between both governments,” Rodriguez stated on her Telegram channel.

She was responding to statements made by Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, who did not deny that conversations on the matter occurred but rejected the idea of negotiations involving reciprocal agreements. He insisted that the asylum and transfer to Madrid were requested personally by Gonzalez.

“There has been no political negotiation of any kind between the Spanish government and the Venezuelan government… The Spanish government did not offer any reciprocal concession to facilitate the departure of Edmundo Gonzalez,” Albares said.

In response, the Venezuelan vice president asserted that it is “a communicational fact” that an aircraft of the Spanish Air Force transported Gonzalez, following authorization from Venezuela’s aviation authorities.

Rodriguez, who called the Spanish minister’s statement “false,” emphasized that Venezuela and Spain maintained the “relevant contacts” and, in adherence to international law, the Bolivarian government granted Gonzalez the safe-conduct.

On Saturday night, Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Yvan Gil confirmed that Edmundo Gonzalez left Venezuelan territory of his own accord, headed to Spain, after receiving a safe-conduct from the Bolivarian government.

The following day, Venezuela’s Attorney General Tarek William Saab also confirmed Gonzalez’s departure and stated that his office respects the decision made by the administration of President Nicolas Maduro.

During a broadcast of the TV program Con Maduro+, the Venezuelan head of state said he respects the decision of the far right-wing opposition former presidential candidate of request asylum in Spain.

President Maduro also pointed out that “Here (Venezuela), hatred, violence, division and persecution of people for their ideas, ways of thinking and being cannot proliferate.”

Maduro asked the opposition forces that ignored the Nation’s institutions to respect the rules of the game and accept the election results as well: “We have played fair and we have won.”

In this regard, he pointed out that Venezuela has to make severe anti-fascist laws and exalted the first World Congress against fascism to be held in the country on 10 and 11 September.

The head of state also highlighted the National Assambley’s anti-fascist law legislative discussions. “This new law is a way to block any form of this political expression in our national territory,” said the president.