Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the PP, met with Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González on Tuesday in the Congress, where the Spanish government has granted him asylum. Feijóo expressed his commitment to the Venezuelan people, stating that he is always on the side of democrats. The meeting was held in the Congress as a representation of national sovereignty. Edmundo González has not been recognized as the elected president by the Spanish government, as they are waiting for a joint position from the EU on the disputed Venezuelan election results from July 28.
The meeting between Feijóo and González took place a week after the Congress recognized González as the “elected president” of Venezuela through an initiative supported by the PP, Vox, Coalición Canaria, UPN, and the PNV. The PP will also bring the same initiative to the Senate on Wednesday, where it is expected to pass due to the majority held by the populares. Former Spanish Prime Ministers Mariano Rajoy and José María Aznar had previously met with González, who had also met with current Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez shortly after arriving in Spain. Feijóo assured González that the PP is politically and morally committed to their cause and will continue to demand the recognition of the election results in Venezuela on all national and international forums.
In a statement, the PP informed that Feijóo had pledged their support to González and María Corina Machado in Venezuela, calling for the release of all political prisoners and demanding information from the Spanish government regarding the two Spanish citizens detained by the Maduro regime the previous week. The PP criticized the Sánchez government for not informing them about the situation, accusing them of having a better relationship with the Maduro regime than with the main opposition party in Spain. The PP’s parliamentary spokesperson, Miguel Tellado, expressed concern about the government’s lack of transparency and accused them of following a roadmap dictated by lobbying interests, particularly those of former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.
The PP continues to attack the Sánchez government over its relations with Venezuela, rejecting the government’s democratic regeneration plan and drawing comparisons between Sánchez’s policies and those of Maduro. The PP highlighted concerns about Sánchez’s intentions to increase control over private media, suggesting it resembles actions taken by dictatorial regimes. The European Parliament is set to debate the situation in Venezuela at the request of the European People’s Party, with a resolution to be voted on Thursday. The PP’s stance on Venezuela and its criticism of the government’s handling of the issue are part of a broader strategy to challenge Sánchez’s policies and decisions on the international stage.
