Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez met Thursday with Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, who fled to Madrid over the weekend requesting asylum, as tensions mounted between Caracas and its former colonial ruler.
The meeting came just hours after the head of Venezuela's parliament called for the suspension of ties with Madrid after Spanish lawmakers approved a non-binding motion urging Sánchez's government to recognise González Urrutia as the "legitimate winner" of a July presidential election that gave strongman Nicolás Maduro a third six-year term.
Sánchez published a video on social network X showing him walking in the gardens at his official residence with González Urrutia and the opposition figure's daughter Carolina González, who lives in Spain.
"Spain continues to work in favour of democracy, dialogue and the fundamental rights of the brotherly people of Venezuela," he wrote on X, adding he "warmly welcomed Edmundo González Urrutia to our country".
It was the first meeting between Sánchez, who returned earlier on Thursday from an official visit to China, and González Urrutia, 75, since the Venezuelan opposition figure landed in Spain on Sunday with his wife to seek political asylum.
He had been in hiding following a July 28 presidential election in the Latin American nation that the opposition insists he won but was claimed by incumbent Venezuelan President Maduro, who had ordered González Urrutia's arrest.
González Urrutia said he thanked Sánchez at the meeting for his "interest" in the "recovery of democracy and respect for human rights in our country."
In a separate statement issued several hours later he also thanked Spain's Parliament for approving the motion as well as "all the Spanish political forces that are actively fighting" for his recognition as the winner of the July election.
"My commitment to the mandate I have received from the sovereign people of Venezuela is unwavering," he added.
'Gesture of humanity'
While the United States has recognised González Urrutia as the winner of the election, Spain and other European Union nations have so far limited themselves to refusing to accept Maduro as the victor and calling on the Venezuelan government to release the voting tally sheets.
"From a political point of view, the Spanish government has been clear since the elections were organised," Sánchez said Wednesday.
"We are doing something very important: working for unity in the European Union so that we can find a way out that reflects the democratic will expressed at the ballot box by the Venezuelan people."
Sánchez also said that granting González Urrutia asylum was a "gesture of humanity."
Madrid wants to "maintain the best relations with the Venezuelan people" government spokeswoman Pilar Alegría said earlier on Thursday in response to Venezuela's threat to suspend political and economic ties with Spain.
"Of course, our interest will always be to work to maintain the best relations with the Venezuelan people," Alegría told reporters, adding that Spanish missions in Venezuela were working normally.
Venezuela is home to a large community of Spanish citizens and descendants while major Spanish firms such as oil giant Repsol, telecoms firm Telefonica and BBVA bank have a significant presence.
'New stage'
After his arrival in Spain, González Urrutia said he had decided to leave "so that things can change and so we can build a new stage for Venezuela."
Venezuelan prosecutors had opened an investigation against González Urrutia for crimes related to his insistence that he was the rightful election victor.
Charges include usurpation of public functions, forgery of a public document, incitement to disobedience, sabotage, and association with organised crime. He risked a prison sentence of 30 years.
The charges stem from the opposition publishing its own tally of polling station-level ballots cast, which it says showed González Urrutia winning about two-thirds of votes.
Venezuela's electoral authority has said it cannot provide a breakdown of the election results, blaming a cyber attack on its systems.
by Daniel Silva, AFP
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