Audio Recordings Proving No Coercion of Former Candidate Edmundo González Published

The president of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, has officially made public the audios and additional information about the meeting he held with the far-right former presidential candidate Edmundo González, as he had forewarned. Last Wednesday, González made the claims that he had signed a letter abiding by the Supreme Court of Justice’s ruling on the elections but that it had been “coerced” by Venezuelan authorities.

“We hope for two things: that this will put an end to the gossip, and that you will comply with what you signed here,” Rodríguez stated addressing González, after presenting some of the audios where the “notable desperation of González to flee the country is evident, on the same day that we met at the Spanish embassy.”

Jorge Rodríguez also clarified that the letter signed by González was drafted after a meeting in which he participated, alongside Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, Edmundo González, and an interlocutor whose identity he preferred not to reveal, in order to avoid being attacked by “fascist hordes” in Spain who might attack them.

“He [González] sought us out,” said the head of the Venezuelan parliament. “There was no situation here in which he was threatened or coerced. On the contrary, he sought us out to talk.”

Rodríguez stated that there were telephone and face-to-face conversations at the Spanish embassy in Venezuela. “The Spanish ambassador himself is a notable witness to this,” he added.

He denied that he and Vice President Delcy Rodríguez had “broken into” the residence of the Spanish ambassador, where the meeting with Edmundo González took place, as was reported by some far-right and mainstream news outlets. Rodríguez said that they simply rang the bell and were greeted politely by the embassy staff, following which he, Delcy Rodríguez, Edmundo González, and the interlocutor sat on a sofa and in armchairs to talk.

“They brought a bottle of Chivas Regal 12-year-old whiskey,” Rodríguez detailed. “The ambassador brought ice. The vice president did not drink because she was taking medication, and she does not like to drink, either. There was a certain alcoholic smell to the meeting even before the ambassador arrived with the bottles. I say this because, at a certain time of night, when they sent us a proposal of the letter that Mr. González would sign, we looked for a way for him to confirm it and we could not find him. I imagine that he was somewhat affected by the tiredness caused by the alcohol and the medicines he takes for his ailments.”

He also noted that the Spanish ambassador did not interfere in the meeting “beyond bringing some drinks and chocolate.”

Leave Venezuela as soon as possible
The speaker of parliament explained that “Edmundo had a firm intention to leave Venezuela for Spain that same day,” and that “the vice president and I were the ones who felt pressured, because there was an intention for him to leave and travel.” Rodríguez also said that the interlocutor wanted Edmundo González to be able to leave the country, indicating that this was his wish “from day one.”

In one of the audio recordings, the interlocutor pointed out that González did not have on his agenda the creation of a parallel government, or “inventing fake presidents, paper presidents, confetti, and that both he and his whole troop of supporters held this view,” while González sat at his side, “listening quietly drinking his whiskey.”

When Rodríguez also pointed out that there is the issue of respecting public powers, the interlocutor noted that “that has not even been discussed.” Jorge Rodríguez noted that all of this was part of the actions for drafting the letter.

Knowledge of Machado’s plans of violent acts and intention to flee
Rodríguez further noted that González mentioned during their conversation that extremist sectors had been planning serious acts of violence against representatives of the Bolivarian Revolution, including attacks on President Maduro, Vice President Rodríguez, and Diosdado Cabello, among others.

In the conversation, they pointed out that they have not found evidence that González himself was involved in these violent or terrorist plans, but that the same could not be said of María Corina Machado and her entourage, of whom they have found evidence.

Jorge Rodríguez told González that they held evidence of Machado’s involvement in these plans, and González “calmly told [Rodríguez] yes.” González “was desperate to leave Venezuela,” said Rodríguez. “It is nothing more than an escape from the responsibility that he and some of those close to him encouraged him to take upon himself.”

Jorge Rodríguez later posted audio recordings of the conversation in which González says that he has always called for “peace, unity, and reconciliation among Venezuelans,” as was reflected in the letter published yesterday, which contrasts with his later words about the alleged “coercion” he faced.

Rodríguez compared González to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as a result of these contradictions, referring to the famous short novel by Robert Louis Stevenson in which the main character, Dr. Jekyll, a humane and peaceful person, turns into an evil and violent monster, Mr. Hyde, every time he ingests a potion.

Second warning
After making the audio recordings public, Rodríguez issued a new warning, that he will reveal a second document in which González requests the protection of his assets, residences, and vehicles, as well as those of his family and friends. Rodríguez said that he signed the receipt of that document.

“I have that document, please do not force me to publish it,” Rodríguez stated. “Not one line of that document mentions anything about people deprived of liberty,” noting the further contradictions in what González claimed after his letter was published. “If you object to what I have just said, I will publish that second document.”

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“We know who posted the document online, with the aim of creating conflicts on the right,” said Jorge Rodríguez, in reference to the initial release of the letter by news outlets in Spain. He points out that there is an issue of jealousy in the opposition, of who commands whom, “and they released that document, but instead of sending the lawyer to recognize it, they send him to say that the document does not exist, forcing me to make it public and expose their lies.”

“If they had accepted the existence of the document,” Rodríguez continued, “we would have maintained the confidentiality, which was something that President Maduro strongly demanded of us. We had complied!” Rodríguez further recalled that, even yesterday in the video presented, González recognized the National Assembly presided by Jorge Rodríguez as the legitimate governing body of Venezuela.

Regarding other statements by Edmundo González, claiming that he will be sworn in as president on January 10, Rodríguez responded: “Where do you plan to proclaim yourself? In the rehabilitation clinic where Dinorah Figuera works?” he said, referring to the former deputy who claims to be president of the ‘national assembly in exile,’ “or are you going to go to Doral to have Juan Guaidó swear you in a padel tennis court?” he continued sarcastically.

 

(Alba Ciudad) by Ana Perdigón with Orinoco Tribune content

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

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