Spain’s Felipe Gonzalez “Not Welcome,” Venezuela Says

CARACAS – The Venezuelan government says that Spanish former Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez “is not welcome” in the country, according to a communication sent by the foreign ministry to Spain’s embassy in Caracas to which Efe received access on Thursday.

The Spaniard is scheduled to arrive in Venezuela next Monday to provide support for the legal defense of imprisoned opposition figures Leopoldo Lopez and Antonio Ledezma.

Gonzalez, the foreign ministry said, “has characterized himself by making public his anti-Venezuelan and anti-Bolivarian positions and has assumed the task of joining the campaign against the land that gave birth to the liberators who fought for independence from Spanish colonialism.”

“As a result, the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela does not consider him welcome and will not provide any support whatsoever to him, leaving any actions he may take to be completely his own responsibility,” the statement said.

The foreign ministry “suggests to citizen Felipe Gonzalez that if he is interested in the defense of human rights, which in Venezuela are fully guaranteed, as never before, he occupy himself with the defense of the 500,000 people evicted and displaced from their homes” in Spain.

Omar Estacio, Ledezma’s attorney, reiterated on Thursday to Efe that Gonzalez is still scheduled to arrive in Caracas early on Monday.

Gonzalez, a Socialist who governed Spain from 1982-1996, is coming to the South American nation after weeks of announcing his interest in providing “technical support” for the defense of Ledezma and Lopez, who are accused of instigating violent anti-government protests.

His decision to defend the opposition figures was disparaged by Venezuelan authorities and, after his trip was made public, the former Spanish premier was declared persona non grata by Venezuela’s National Assembly.

Gonzalez said that he is not intending “to provoke any incident” or “to create a scandal at the border,” if the government headed by Nicolas Maduro decides not to let him enter Venezuelan territory.