The Venezuelan parliament leader advocates for severing all associations with Spain.
After Edmundo González Urrutia, a critic of the Venezuelan government, was granted entry into Spain, the Venezuelan parliament president urged for the termination of all interactions with Spain. Jorge Rodríguez proposed a resolution to the parliament, urging President Nicolás Maduro to abruptly end all diplomatic, consular, and economic connections with Spain. The Spanish administration expressed its intent to preserve "the most favorable relationship with the Venezuelan populace."
Rodríguez requested that all Spanish diplomats depart from Venezuela and that Venezuela withdraw its own diplomats from Spain. Spanish airlines were suggested to no longer serve Venezuela, and Spanish enterprises were advised to halt operations within the nation.
The 75-year-old former diplomat González Urrutia had contested against incumbent Maduro in the July elections, as opposition leader María Corina Machado was barred from participating. After the ballot, Maduro was proclaimed the victor. Nevertheless, the opposition remains convinced of González Urrutia's triumph and has disseminated results to reinforce this argument.
A short while after the election, González Urrutia went into hiding and sought protection at the Spanish embassy in Caracas. Over the weekend, he exited the South American nation and reached Spain on Sunday, receiving political asylum.
Spanish government spokesperson Pilar Alegría declared on Thursday: "Naturally, it will always be in our best interest to maintain the most favorable relationship with the Venezuelan people." The Spanish diplomatic posts in Venezuela were assured to proceed as usual, she added.
According to the AFP news agency, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was to hold a "private" meeting with González Urrutia on Thursday. Sánchez refereed to his admission as a "gesture of compassion" on Wednesday. His nation had not recognized Maduro's triumph, he stressed during a trip to Shanghai.
The European Parliament could provide assistance to the Commission in managing the diplomatic tension between Spain and Venezuela. In response to Rodríguez's resolution, the Commission might urge for maintaining a dialogue and fostering cooperation with Spain to preserve relations for the benefit of the Venezuelan people.
