The family and one of the daughters of Nicolas Maduro’s opponent stayed in Venezuela when he decided to seek asylum in Spain, where his other daughter lives
denounced that “hooded men” took, this Tuesday (7), his son-in-law, in Caracas, three days before the president’s inauguration . Authorities have not yet made a statement about what happened. The opponent is in Washington, where he is trying to garner support for his claim to power in Venezuela. González denounces Maduro’s re-election for a third consecutive six-year term as fraud and claims victory in the July 28 elections. His family and one of his daughters stayed in Venezuela when he decided to seek asylum in Spain, where his other daughter lives.
Maduro intends to take office this Friday (10) before the Parliament, controlled by Chavismo. The opposition called for protests across the country for Thursday, which opposition leader María Corina Machado, in hiding, promised to lead. “This morning, my son-in-law Rafael Tudares was kidnapped,” wrote González on the X network. “Rafael was going to my grandchildren’s school to leave them for the start of classes, when hooded men dressed in black intercepted him, placed him in a pickup truck […]and took him away. Until now he is missing”, added the 75-year-old diplomat.
González’s travels
González has been in Washington since Sunday, after passing through Argentina and Uruguay, the first two stops on an international tour, carried out a week before the presidential inauguration in Venezuela, on January 10. He met on Monday (6) with the president, whose government recognizes him as “president-elect”.
During the meeting, the two talked about “their shared efforts to restore democracy in Venezuela,” according to a statement. “The transition in Venezuela will take place during the last days of the Biden administration,” said González, according to a note from the Venezuelan opposition, two weeks before Donald Trump returns to the White House.
He also spoke with Mike Waltz, chosen by Trump as future White House security adviser, as well as congressmen. The opponent’s international trip includes stops in Panama and the Dominican Republic. From there, nine former right-wing presidents, members of the Democratic Initiative of Spain and the Americas (IDEA Group), seek to coordinate a flight that will take them to Venezuela.
“It’s not guaranteed yet,” the Venezuelan leader told journalists in the American capital. “I’ll wait for them at the airport”, joked the Minister of the Interior, Diosdado Cabello. “Are they going to invade Venezuela? Are you going to scare us with this? (…) If they set foot in Venezuela, they will be arrested and brought to justice.”
The President of Parliament, Jorge Rodríguez, warned, in turn, that they will be treated as “invaders” if they enter Venezuela without permission. A background: Venezuelan authorities prevented the takeoff of a plane from Panama City towards Caracas, which had among its passengers former presidents of the IDEA group, who wanted to go to Venezuela to observe the July presidential elections.
Machado said that a parallel inauguration of González Urrutia outside the country is not planned. “Edmundo González will be sworn in on the corresponding day in Venezuela,” she said in an interview with AFP on Monday. The Maduro government “its days are numbered because this tyranny will leave and Venezuela will be free”, he reiterated, this Tuesday, via videoconference. “I can’t guarantee the day or time, it could be before, during or after January 10th, but it will happen.” Machado, who made his last public appearance on August 28, plans to participate in the mobilization in Caracas, the route of which has not yet been announced.
“It’s time to claim 28,” he said. “We managed to ensure that all eyes in the world are focused on what corresponds, which is the truth, popular sovereignty, the united people, and not on a farce”. Chavismo called for a parallel demonstration in the capital and another on Friday to accompany Maduro’s inauguration. “Everything will remain in holy peace”, warned Cabello. “But fascists, terrorists, if you dare (to invade the inauguration), you will regret it all your lives.”
*Report produced with the help of AI and information from AFP
Published by Carol Santos
