Wed Sep 11 09:41:38 UTC 2024: ## Spain Stands Firm: Won’t Recognize Venezuela Opposition Candidate as Winner Despite Parliamentary Vote
**BEIJING/MADRID -** Despite a symbolic parliamentary vote recognizing Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner of the disputed presidential election, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has confirmed his government will not take this into account.
The motion, passed by 177 lawmakers in the Spanish lower house on Wednesday, was a symbolic gesture of support for Gonzalez, who has taken refuge in Spain following the July 28th vote. The Venezuelan opposition, claiming victory for Gonzalez, has published their own vote tallies and accused incumbent President Nicolas Maduro of rigging the election.
Sanchez, currently on a visit to China, emphasized Spain’s position of demanding the release of detailed vote tallies under EU mediation, while refusing to recognize either Maduro or Gonzalez as the victor. He stated that this stance would not change.
“We have asked for the publication of the acts, we have not recognized the victory of Nicolas Maduro, and we are working for unity in the European Union, so that unity allows us to have a margin of mediation,” Sanchez said.
The US, Argentina, and Peru have already recognized Gonzalez as president-elect, while Maduro has dismissed international criticism as a right-wing plot.
Despite the symbolic vote, Sanchez reiterated that Spain’s primary focus remains on achieving unity within the EU to facilitate mediation in Venezuela.
Venezuelan opposition leader Antonio Ledezma, who lives in Spain, believes Gonzalez’s arrival will strengthen their cause. “Edmundo will be free,” Ledezma said, “He will be able to lead the struggle for Venezuela’s freedom by heading the diaspora.”
Gonzalez, who has not appeared publicly since arriving in Spain, remains a symbol of hope for the Venezuelan opposition, despite the Spanish government’s cautious stance on the election results.
First Piper 