(CNN Spanish) – Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro criticized opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia's visit to Spain this Saturday and suggested, without explanation or evidence, that María Corina Machado could leave the country.
“And the coward Edmundo González Urrutia ran away, left, left, surrendered, abandoned his own people,” Maduro said ironically at a campaign event in which he celebrated the disputed presidential election, in which the National Electoral Council (CNE) declared him. Winner. Two months have passed since the elections without the center and the polling station providing data confirming the victory, amid allegations of fraud and calls from a large section of the international community for transparency on what happened that day.
González Urrutia said he left Venezuela due to repeated threats and pressure from the government, which required him to sign a document recognizing the official decisions of July 28, which was later verified by the Supreme Court, which also obeys Chavismo. . The government denies coercing Gonzalez.
At an official event celebrating Maduro's re-election this Saturday, the president also attacked the opposition, which has called for marches around the world this Saturday, and Machado, without naming him directly, said he was preparing to leave. Venezuela.
“Today I tell you, the so-called “queen bee” is gone without bees,” said the Venezuelan president, protesting opposition parties in Caracas and other cities in the country, and not personally Machado. Attend. A few days ago, the opposition leader said he was “guarded” given the wave of arrests after polling day.
“He is preparing his suitcases,” Maduro added. “And Sayona is getting ready to leave,” Maduro said, referring to the opponent and comparing it to the role of Venezuelan folklore in public events.
As of this Saturday, neither González Urrutia nor Machado have commented on the president's statements and CNN has already contacted their communications teams for comment.
This Saturday, Machado explained in a recorded message played at opposition rallies that he had moved into a so-called “massive” phase of protest, which he described as “brutal repression.” We need to constantly take care of ourselves and be smartly organized.
This Saturday, a CNN team reported that this type of demonstration involves groups of 10 or 20 people who can protest in public or private spaces, where the opposition reads aloud the minutes that announced the elections, which would prove a victory. For González Urrutia. Venezuelan officials say such records are false, although they could not dispute the data with their own numbers.
“Our civil resistance is developing that poses the least risk to the people and the maximum impact on our goal of freedom,” Machado pointed out in the message.
After July 28, more than 2,000 people, including many minors, were detained by the Maduro government during mass protests against the election results that declared him the winner. At the time, the government claimed – without evidence – that those detained were part of an attempt to destabilize the country with the support of foreign powers.
Several international bodies, such as the United Nations (UN), have determined that the repression ordered by the Venezuelan administration may amount to “crimes against humanity,” charges the government denies.
This week, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Gil defended the results announced by the CNE before the UN General Assembly on July 28. Many of the heads of state and government that participated in this year's session openly criticized the Venezuelan government and said it was in fact a dictatorship.
Osmari Hernandez contributed to this report
