• Diplomacy: The foreign minister denies a change in the policy towards Venezuela and says that it does not harm the relationship with the US
  • Venezuela: Nine days of contradictions and different versions of José Luis Ábalos on the 'Delcy case'

The visit to Spain of the vice president of Nicolás Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez , and her mysterious meeting with the Minister of Transportation, José Luis Ábalos, has generated a deep concern in the opposition of Venezuela and in the environment of the president in charge, Juan Guaidó. The Spanish Government tried to keep secret that furtive meeting, which took place in Barajas at dawn on Monday, January 20. In addition, it happened the same week in which Pedro Sánchez refused to receive Juan Guaidó, who did meet with the main leaders of Europe and America during his recent international tour.

Guaidó visited Madrid at the end of January, but could only meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arancha González Laya, at the Casa de América. Yes, he was received by the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, by the mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, and by the national spokesmen of the opposition.

To clarify these facts, the National Assembly of Venezuela has addressed the Spanish political groups and asks them to investigate that trip - which could have violated the sanctions of the European Union - as well as the alleged meeting with Ábalos. The president of the Permanent Commission of Foreign Policy of the Assembly, Armando Armas , has written an official letter to the parliamentary groups of the Congress to which EL MUNDO has had access. In it, he asks them to open an "exhaustive investigation" in the Spanish Parliament about the visit of Delcy Rodríguez.

In addition, he asks them to clarify "the reasons behind the meeting with Minister José Luis Ábalos" in the early hours of January 20.

The president of the Foreign Policy Commission says in his letter that the Venezuelan Assembly - a body in which the opposition to Nicolás Maduro has a majority - has confirmed "according to reliable sources" that Ábalos and Rodríguez met in Barajas, an aspect initially denied by the secretary of Organization of the PSOE.

The deputy who signs the letter is a well-known political leader of Venezuela and one of the referents of the opposition to the Maduro dictatorship. Founding member and general coordinator of the Popular Will party in its region of origin, Anzoátegui . There he was campaign manager for Leopoldo López and Henrique Capriles .

Armas recalls in his letter that Rodriguez is on the list of people who weigh sanctions approved by the European Union, which is prohibited from entering the entire Schengen area , which includes, ensures, the Spanish airspace.

The Venezuelan deputy notes that Article 20 of the European Regulation that establishes the restrictive measures applied by the situation in Venezuela explicitly mentions in Article 20 that this rule will apply "in the territory of the Union, including its airspace". And that Spain, as an EU Member State, is obliged to comply with that rule. "Otherwise we would face a violation of European regulations," he adds.

For all these reasons, the Venezuelan Foreign Commission "formally" requests the collaboration of the Spanish parties "for the opening of an exhaustive investigation in the Congress of Deputies concerning the visit of Delcy Rodriguez to the Spanish territory."

The letter sent to parliamentary groups. EM

Among the recipients of the letter are the Foreign Affairs spokeswoman for Citizens, Marta Martín , and the PP, Valentina Martínez . Marta Martín has already answered the Assembly of Venezuela with all the initiatives that the liberal party is promoting in Congress to clarify the visit of the Chavista president.

In his response, Martín reminds Armando Armas that Ciudadanos was "the first party that carried out different institutional actions to clarify this issue," which he describes as "really shameful."

The PP and Citizens are the two parliamentary groups that have requested the creation of a commission of inquiry in Congress to clarify this visit and the alleged meeting of Ábalos. The PP and Cs have also presented dozens of written questions and requests to appear by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the Minister of Transportation.

Victim of Nicolás Maduro. Venezuelan deputy Armando Armas, who has requested an investigation from Congress, was one of the injured parliamentarians inside the Federal Legislative Palace when supporters of the dictator Maduro entered to hit the opposition.

Questions in the control session

Next week, this murky affair will take over the first session of control to the Government of the legislature. The PP spokeswoman, Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo, will question Ábalos about this matter. In addition, Vox leader Santiago Abascal will ask Pedro Sánchez about it. And the deputy spokesman for Citizens in Congress, Edmundo Bal, will also ask Minister Ábalos.

In addition, the PP will ask in the control session two more questions to the Minister of Transportation, another to the Minister of Finance and spokesperson, María Jesús Montero, and one more to the head of Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska. All of them deal with the controversial meeting that Ábalos had with Delcy Rodríguez in Barajas.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arancha González Laya, denied yesterday at a press conference that there has been a change in government policy regarding Venezuela, despite Pedro Sánchez's refusal to receive Juan Guaidó and the meeting held by Ábalos with Delcy Rodriguez

Asked by this newspaper, González Laya rejected that this change has occurred. And he said that this policy is not going to harm the relationship that Spain has with the US. González Laya said that Spain's position on Venezuela is "quite clear and consistent." The objective of the Executive is now "to favor, encourage, support and, if necessary, push the parties to find a solution", placing the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro and the democratic opposition, headed by Juan Guaidó, on an equal level. .

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  • PP
  • Venezuela
  • Juan Guaidó
  • Spain
  • Citizens
  • Pedro Sanchez
  • European Union
  • Nicolás Maduro
  • Congress of Deputies
  • Arancha González Laya
  • PSOE
  • Vox
  • Edmundo Bal
  • Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo
  • Fernando Grande-Marlaska
  • Henrique Capriles
  • Isabel Díaz Ayuso
  • José Luis Ábalos
  • Leopoldo López
  • Maria Jesus Montero

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