The Government explains that Pedro Sánchez does not receive Juan Guaidó to avoid damaging the "negotiation" with Venezuela

• European tour: Juan Guaidó finishes his European tour in Spain

After an intense European tour, the president in charge of Venezuela, Juan Guaidó , will land today in Madrid to attend several events, including an appointment with the Venezuelan exodus at the Puerta del Sol. He will not meet the Spanish president, Pedro Sánchez , but he will do it with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arancha González Laya .

Guaidó will land around 2:30 pm at the Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez airport. Then, he will go to Casa de América to meet privately with the head of Foreign Affairs. In the previous days he has met with leading European leaders, such as Boris Johnson , Emmanuel Macron or Angela Merkel .

This morning, González Laya has given an explanation to Sánchez's refusal to receive Guaidó. The head of Foreign Affairs has assured that Spain continues to recognize the Venezuelan leader as president in charge, but has added that "Spain's position is to contribute to free, transparent and democratic elections" in the country, suggesting that a meeting between Sánchez and Guaidó could harm this objective. Pedro Sánchez has supported this approach today: "We defend a dialogue response for an early election. We are a Government that has always supported the Venezuelan opposition."

This same argument is the one outlined by the Minister and Secretary of Organization of the PSOE, José Luis Ábalos , in an interview in La Razón . Immersed in a huge controversy for having seen in strange circumstances with the vice president of Venezuela and number two of Nicolás Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez , Ábalos explains about Guaidó's visit that an interview with Sánchez could harm a "negotiated exit" to the situation in the country.

"We have a leading role in relations with Latin America and in Europe we recognize our leadership for the democratic solution in Venezuela, a balanced, non-hostile democratic solution," says Ábalos as an explanation for Sánchez's different attitude towards the other European leaders who yes they have received Guaidó. "There is no other way out that is not negotiated," he continues, "I can't think of a violent solution." "I don't think so, others maybe. Spain must balance more than others. We have to be more exquisite if we want a peaceful solution. If not, the way is to mark differences and hostilities."

Pedro Sánchez recognized Juan Guaidó as president in charge last year, as more than 50 countries have done. Spain leads the leadership of Latin American affairs within the EU, where there is no consensus on the recognition of Guaidó because Italy, Slovakia and Cyprus disagree.

At the end of this year, parliamentary elections should be held in Venezuela. Last year a Contact Group was created in the EU to promote the conditions for calling for free and transparent elections in the Latin American country. In fact, the Spanish Foreign Minister offered this week to host the next meeting of this group.

Agenda in Madrid

Yesterday, from Paris, Guaidó downplayed the fact that Sánchez did not receive him. "We have the best relations with Spain. Spain is an ally of democracy, of freedom. I hope and I am sure that it will remain that way. And we will continue to insist on working with everyone," he explained before meeting with members of the Venezuelan community in France, Efe reported.

After his meeting with González Laya, Guaidó will go to the Madrid City Council. From there it will go to the headquarters of the Community of Madrid and then have the encounter with Venezuelans, which is expected in large numbers.

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