8 September 2024
Venezuela Opposition Leader Urrutia Seeks Political Asylum In Spain, Leaves The Country The Venezuelan government has said that opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia has left the country and has sought political asylum in Spain. Urrutia was the opposition party’s presidential candidate, backed by popular leader Maria Corina Machado. He disputed President Nicolas Maduro's July 28 victory.
He was facing legal proceedings in Venezuela. He had skipped three summons to appear before prosecutors. He said that attending the hearing could cost him his freedom. The Venezuelan prosecutors had issued an arrest warrant against Urrutia for his insistence on being a rightful election winner. His lawyer claims that given the charges levelled by Venezuelan authorities, he could face a jail term of 30 years.
Venezuela has been witnessing a political crisis since the July 28 vote, in which President Maduro was declared a winner. The declaration of Maduro’s election victory triggered massive protests in Venezuela that killed 27 and injured 192 people.
