Exiled Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez claimed on Wednesday, Sept. 18, that he was forced to sign a letter accepting Venezuela’s top court’s decision to recognize President Nicolás Maduro’s victory in the presidential election earlier this year. He was then granted asylum in Spain earlier this month.
In a video posted on Instagram, Gonzalez said, “Either I signed, or I faced the consequences.”
Gonzalez said he met Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez and her brother Jorge Rodriguez, president of the National Assembly, at the Spanish Embassy in Caracas. The two reportedly forced him to sign the letter.
He alleges there were “tense hours” of “coercion, blackmail, and pressure,” and he ultimately decided that he would be more useful in freedom than behind bars. He alleges the document is worthless because of a “serious lack of consent.”
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Following Gonzalez’ video, Jorge Rodriguez showed the signed letter on national television, claiming Gonzalez signed it willingly and arguing if it were coerced, “How is it that one of your daughters still lives in Venezuela, peacefully, with her family, as regular Venezuelans?”
Gonzalez maintained he won the election in the video, calling himself the “president-elect of millions and millions of Venezuelans,” adding, “They are not going to silence me. I will not betray them.”
The July 28 presidential election led to mass protests after allegations of fraud against Maduro’s regime. The opposition published vote tallies that allegedly showed Gonzalez had won. This week, the United Nations reported Maduro’s government is increasingly trying to crush peaceful protests and cling to power in the wake of the contested election.
Meanwhile, an arrest warrant is still out for Gonzalez in Venezuela, issued by the Maduro regime.
[JACK AYMLER]
EXILED VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER EDMUNDO GONZALEZ CLAIMS ALLIES OF PRESIDENT MADUROFORCED HIM TO SIGN A LETTER ACCEPTING MADURO’S VICTORY EARLIER THIS MONTH BEFORE HE COULD FLEE THE COUNTRY.
IN A VIDEO POSTED TO INSTAGRAM, GONZALEZ, WHO IS NOW IN EXILE IN SPAIN, SAID, “EITHER I SIGNED OR I FACED THE CONSEQUENCES.”
GONZALEZ SAYS HE MET VENEZUELA’S VICE PRESIDENT DELCY RODRIGUEZ AND HER BROTHER JORGE RODRIGUEZ, THE PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, AT THE SPANISH EMBASSY IN CARACAS, WHERE THEY FORCED HIM TO SIGN THE LETTER.
HE ALLEGES THERE WERE “TENSE HOURS” OF “COERCION, BLACKMAIL, AND PRESSURE” AND HE ULTIMATELY DECIDED HE’D BE MORE USEFUL LIVING IN FREEDOM RATHER THAN BEHIND BARS.
HE ALLEGES THE DOCUMENT IS WORTHLESS BECAUSE OF A “SERIOUS LACK OF CONSENT.”
FOLLOWING GONZALEZ’ VIDEO, JORGE RODRIGUEZ SHOWED THE SIGNED LETTER ON NATIONAL TELEVISION– CLAIMING GONZALEZ SIGNED IT WILLINGLY, AND ARGUED IF IT WERE COERCED, QUOTE “HOW IS IT THAT ONE OF YOUR DAUGHTERS STILL LIVES IN VENEZUELA PEACEFULLY WITH HER FAMILY, AS REGULAR VENEZUELANS?”
HE PRESSURED GONZALEZ TO DENY THE ACCUSATIONS– THREATENING HIM WITH THE RELEASE OF AUDIO RECORDINGS OF MEETINGS HE HAD WITH GONZALEZ– IF HE DIDN’T RETRACT HIS CLAIMS.
GONZALEZ MAINTAINS HE WON, CALLING HIMSELF THE “PRESIDENT-ELECT OF MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF VENEZUELANS,” ADDING, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO SILENCE ME.”
THE ELECTION IN LATE-JULY LED TO MASS PROTESTS AFTER ALLEGATIONS OF FRAUD AGAINST MADURO’S REGIME. THE OPPOSITION PUBLISHED VOTE TALLIES SHOWING GONZALEZ WON OVERWHELMINGLY. THIS WEEK, THE U-N REPORTED MADURO IS INCREASINGLY TRYING TO CRUSH PEACEFUL PROTESTS AND CLING TO POWER IN THE WAKE OF THE CONTROVERSIAL ELECTION.
WE’LL BE SURE TO CONTINUE FOLLOWING THIS STORY AND YOU CAN TOO– JUST DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M JACK AYLMER.
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