Tag: Edmundo González

Venezuela’s President-Elect Seeks Asylum in Spain

Richard Barnes

Among the recent events in Venezuela, we now hear that her president-elect, Edmundo González Urrutía was flown out of the country and is in Spain which has granted him asylum.

As noted in my second to last post, the Venezuelan state has unleashed a brutal wave of repression against all citizens. The OAS characterizes the repression as “state terrorism” and it has included attacks against the president-elect and those who support him, meaning those who voted for him. 

There is no doubt that his life was in danger when one considers the daily rhetoric spewed by the State, basically incitements against him as a terrorist who refused to acknowledge that Maduro won fair and square. 

The opposition concluded that it was necessary to do all that could be done to preserve his life in order to maintain the cause alive. 

My understanding is that the president-elect will be sworn in from Spain as the legitimate president of Venezuela on January 10, 2025. 

I understand that the other threatened politician, María Machado, is still in Venezuela. I believe she is even more feared by the regime than Mr. González. However, there are reports that she is also in Spain. Not sure which reports are correct.

Finally, Mr. González sent this voice mail to the Venezuelan people:

“This morning I arrived in Madrid. My exit from Caracas was surrounded by episodes of pressure, coercion, and threats of not allowing my departure. I trust that we will soon continue the struggle to achieve freedom and restoration of democracy in Venezuela.”

Readers of this blog, know that I am not sanguine about the ability of any politician to “right a ship” in any country. The most he or she can do, perhaps, is to “pause” a downward spiral to give space and time for the people of a land to seek the Almighty’s mercy and forgiveness and help.

My prayer for Machado and González is that they remain safe and are able to assume their leadership roles officially and that our Lord may enable them to work with integrity for the people of Venezuela. 

María Corina Machado and Edmundo González, president-elect of Venezuela

A Summary of the Recent Elections in Venezuela and Their Aftermath

Richard Barnes

Rene J. Abreu wrote a post on his LinkedIn page which you might find of interest. It is brief and compact, yet the full story. The most recent news is that the Venezuela state has suspended X (formerly Twitter) in Venezuela, thereby further hindering the communication and the uncensored news among the Venezuelan people.

I thank Rene for his post and have put his link further below.

By Rene J. Abreu

Venezuela Events After the July 2024 Presidential Elections and the “Venezuelan Mining and Metallurgical Engineers Society (SVIMM)”.

In Spanish SVIMM is “Sociedad Venezolana de Ingenieros de Minas y Metalúrgicos”, an institution created in 1958. As censorship grew up significantly in Venezuela during the last two decades, new directors took the institution lead in 2017. Bravely, this professional institution has been publicly in favor of the truth and the right doing in the natural resources industries in Venezuela.

On Sunday July 28th, 2024, a Presidential Election took place in Venezuela and the opposition won with roughly 70% of the votes. On the same day, the Government announced fraudulently their victory, showing no proof of votes and proceedings.

As it is not easy to understand this situation by my non-Venezuelan friends and readers, following are some facts that may help:

1) For 25 years the same government/political system has been in power.

2) After the first election in 1998, using the democracy tools the government was able to control all the internal institutions and became a “modern dictatorship”.

3) Some opposition parties and leaders were prohibited, controlled, jailed, assassinated, or forced to emigrate. Approximately 8 million people were forced to emigrate and some 4.5 million of them were lawfully registered to vote abroad. Only less than 70,000 emigrants were allowed to vote in this presidential election.

4) Through a Primary Election in 2023, leader Maria Corina Machado unified the opposition, but the regime disqualified both, Mrs Machado and her appointee Mrs Corina Yoris. The lawful opposition party “Plataforma Unitaria Democrática (PUD)” was able to register Mr Edmundo Gonzalez as the unique opposition candidate.

5) While the regime changed rules, jailed politicians, and used traps, the opposition built up a huge social movement of people along the country.

6) Peacefully millions of Venezuelans attended and voted on July 28th.

7) On Monday July 29th the opposition started progressively publishing in internet the actual proceedings (Acts) to prove the wide gap in votes between both candidates. This platform is still open to the world.

8) Venezuelans have been peacefully demonstrating on the streets nationwide against the fraud. The regime is violently acting as a gang of foreign and local criminals combined with some police and military Venezuelans. The repression continues now. It is urgently required the support by the world’s democracies to save the Venezuelan People and for the truth to prevail.

I would like to congratulate SVIMM for publicly demanding on August 1st the Venezuelan Electoral Authorities the publication of all the proceedings supporting their July 28th, 2024, announcement. I think that the future of geology, mining, and metallurgy is bright in Venezuela with the resilience and bravery of institutions like SVIMM.

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