Pedro Sánchez Government Ministers may be holding discrete meetings and contacts with members of the Nicolás Maduro Executive this week, according to Ciudadanos. The Minister of Development, José Luis Ábalos, as they admitted in his department, met Monday with the Minister of Tourism of Venezuela, Felix Plasencia.

This meeting did not have any publicity, nor did it appear in the forecasts of the Government's agenda for the day. Development sources admitted the meeting and explained that both leaders talked about "air transport", which falls within the powers of Plasencia. They also allege that the meeting "was not secret," and they add that it was not included in the minister's public agenda because "it was agreed at the last minute." Ábalos and Plasencia have known each other for a long time, since both have a personal relationship, as explained in Fomento.

Sources close to Ábalos added that the minister and number three of the PSOE have also met on several occasions with the ambassador of Juan Guaidó in Spain and with more representatives of the president recognized by Spain. In addition, he has spoken at least twice with Guaido himself.

But Citizens also denounces, according to sources from this party to EL MUNDO, that Maduro Vice President Delcy Rodríguez could also be in Madrid, with the intention of "holding meetings with the Government." In this case, Cs emphasizes that "the situation is more worrying" because Rodriguez is subject to international sanctions imposed by the European Union since 2018.

These sanctions include the freezing of their assets in the 28 EU member states and the ban on travel to any of the European countries.

Opponents of the Maduro Government have seen the vice president in the official Fitur entourage. And so they have transmitted it to Citizens, as this newspaper has been able to know.

From the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, they assured this newspaper that "they don't know" this visit. And they add that if it had occurred, the department that Arancha González Laya directs should know.

While these meetings could be taking place, from the Presidency of the Government they still do not confirm whether there could be a meeting between Pedro Sánchez and the legitimate president of Venezuela - recognized by Spain, Juan Guaidó, who planned to travel to Madrid this week. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arancha González Laya, has confirmed her intention to receive him. But in Moncloa they neither co-sign nor deny that it can also be received by Sánchez.

Guaidó is carrying out an international tour that has taken him to Colombia, where he met with the US Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, with Colombian President Iván Duque, as well as with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, with whom It was seen in London.

In Brussels, Guaido has met with the high representative for the EU Foreign Policy, the Spanish Josep Borrell, to travel later to Davos, where the World Economic Forum is held.

Cs denounces that Sánchez, in this way, "is deviating from his own foreign policy and the common position agreed within the EU."

For all this, the spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs of Cs, Marta Martín, has registered several questions written in Congress in which she asks about the reasons for the meeting of Ábalos with the Venezuelan Tourism Minister. He also inquires whether the head of Public Works raised the Chavista leader "the need for mature Nicolás to cease his illegitimate usurpation of power in Venezuela."

Finally, he asks the Minister of Development if he at least showed his "rejection of the continuous violations of human rights by the regime of Nicolás Maduro", as well as "the attacks that the regime continues to carry out against President Guaidó".

Marta Martín will finally ask if the Government has information about the visit of the "illegitimate vice president" of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, to Spain "in violation of the international sanctions imposed on her person." And, in the event that the visit has occurred, why the Executive has allowed him to enter the country.

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  • Citizens
  • Venezuela
  • Nicolás Maduro
  • Spain
  • Pedro Sanchez
  • European Union
  • Arancha González Laya
  • Boris johnson
  • Colombia
  • Davos
  • London
  • Josep Borrell
  • José Luis Ábalos
  • Juan Guaidó

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