"A forced exile": Latin American leaders’ reactions to Edmundo González’s departure from Venezuela

The responses of Latin American countries to the political asylum in Spain of the opposition candidate for the presidency of Venezuela, Edmundo González Urrutia, were not long in coming..

Chile regretted the “forced exile” by Edmundo González and rejected “the persecution, harassment and political violence to which he was subjected, forcing him to leave his country in the face of conditions that put his safety at risk.”

“Chile condemns any form of repression against opponents of the dictatorial regime in Venezuelaand reiterates the call for respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and the physical integrity of all Venezuelans,” the Foreign Ministry reported.

Paraguay also joined in the criticism of the “forced exile” of the opposition leader.

“Paraguay reiterates its commitment to the people of Venezuela. It demands unrestricted respect for human rights, the fundamental freedoms of Venezuelans and appeals to the immediate restoration of the rule of law“, published the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of that country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica condemned the “political persecution”” in Venezuela.

“Costa Rica regrets that the political persecution, “As part of Nicolás Maduro’s attempts to legitimize electoral fraud, Edmundo González Urrutia was forced to go into exile,” the ministry said in a statement.

The Organization of American States (OAS) used the same concept of “forced exile” to describe what happened to González.

“One month and ten days before the presidential elections in Venezuela, the regime has not only failed to produce the slightest evidence of an electoral result, but has forced the exile of candidate Edmundo González – who, taking into account what has happened since the date of the election, undoubtedly won – based on unfounded summons to the Prosecutor’s Office and threats of imprisonment,” the organization said in a statement.

“This action by the Venezuelan authoritarian regime is obviously condemnable and reprehensible,” he added.

The Venezuelan government had not commented on the comments made by the OAS or the region’s leaders on Sunday.

The President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvawho decided not to make any statements regarding Edmundo González’s departure from the country, called his diplomatic advisers on Sunday to discuss the situation in Venezuela at the Palacio da Alvorada, the president’s official residence.

Itamaraty, as Brazil’s foreign ministry is known, said it will continue to be responsible for Argentina’s diplomatic headquarters in Caracas until Buenos Aires designates a new country to represent its interests in Venezuela.

“The Brazilian government was surprised the Venezuelan government’s communication that it intends to revoke its consent for Brazil to protect Argentina’s interests in Venezuela,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The statements come after Venezuela informed Brazil of the Unilateral revocation of diplomatic custody of Brazil on the Argentine embassy in Caracas, where six opponents of Maduro are seeking asylum.

Brazil took over Argentina’s diplomatic headquarters in Caracas in August, when Nicolás Maduro’s government decided to expel the diplomatic teams of seven countries, including Argentina, following allegations of fraud in the presidential elections.

For its part, The Argentine Foreign Ministry thanked Brazil for the representation of its interests in Venezuela and denounced on Saturday the presence of patrols of the Venezuelan intelligence services and security forces surrounding the official residence in Caracas.

Argentina rejected the measure and asked Venezuela to respect the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which establishes the inviolability of diplomatic missions.

“Actions like these reinforce the belief that in Venezuela, Maduro fundamental rights are not respected of the human being,” the Foreign Ministry reported.

Peru accompanied Argentina and Brazil and expressed his “serious concern” in response to Venezuela’s decision to “withdraw its consent for Brazil to represent and protect Argentina’s interests in Caracas.”

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