Albares and leaders of the PSOE receive Venezuelan deputies of the Assembly that Spain does not recognize

Foreign Affairs and PSOE minimize contacts with these members of a party considered related to Maduro and judicially intervened

MADRID, 7 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, as well as several PSOE leaders, including Pilar Cancela, his Foreign Secretary and also Secretary of State for International Cooperation, have met in recent days with two Venezuelan deputies who are part of of the Assembly resulting from the 2020 elections, which Spain does not recognize.

The deputies in question, Oscar Ronderos and Pedro José Rojas, are also part of the parallel branch of Democratic Action, resulting from the intervention of the Venezuelan Justice and those who in their country are considered "usurpers" and their proximity to the Chavismo and the Government of Nicolás Maduro.

Ronderos has published on his Twitter account several photos of what the party defines in a statement as "important international agenda" of both during their time in Madrid, with "meetings" with Albares, as well as with the Secretary of State for Ibero-America, Juan Fernández Trigo, and Cancela.

Likewise, they also say they have met with the secretary of organization of the PSOE, Santos Cerdán León, with the president of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Congress and deputy of the PSOE, Pau Marí Klose, as well as with the deputy Julio Navalpotro, with whom they have also published Photos.

From Foreign Affairs, they explain to Europa Press that in the case of Albares, there was no meeting but that they were found at the gates of the Congress and that a photo was taken with them after they told them that they were members of the Socialist International, since his party --at least the original one-- is part of it just like the PSOE.

Regarding the meeting with Fernández Trigo, they also downgrade its importance, framing it in the fact that he was chargé d'affaires in Venezuela from November 2020 until his appointment as Secretary of State for Ibero-America and therefore maintains contacts with personalities from the political scene of this country.

Also in the PSOE they have made the contacts less relevant, also the one maintained by Pilar Cancela, in whose image it is clearly seen that the two Venezuelan deputies are in the socialist headquarters on Ferraz street.

In this sense, PSOE sources consulted by Europa Press have argued that the Venezuelan deputies "have taken the opportunity to give themselves visibility and support from the PSOE, which is not the case."

As they have explained, they requested "a courtesy meeting" on the basis that both parties share similar ideologies and assure that more than a meeting, with Cancela there was "a greeting of about 10 or 15 minutes during which they talked about the general context in America America, without going into internal issues of Venezuela".

Thus, the sources have made it clear that the fact that said greeting took place does not mean that the PSOE recognizes the leadership of that branch of Democratic Action, but that they assure that they support the "direction chosen by internal channels" and advance which also foresee a visit from the party supported by the opposition.

The PSOE sources consulted admit that "they knew that there were internal differences" in Acción Democrática but they admit that they were unaware that "the confrontation reached that limit" and therefore not so much "transcendence" was given to what they considered to be a contact "with some colleagues who came to say hello".

In June 2020, the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) of Venezuela proceeded to dismiss the leadership of the opposition Democratic Action (AD) party, led by Henri Ramos Allup, to put in its place a leadership considered more in tune with the theses of the government of Nicolás Maduro.

The TSJ also took steps in the same direction in relation to other opposition formations, which would ultimately end up participating in the parliamentary elections of December 2020 and allowing the Chavista regime to sell the image of plurality in the contest.

Despite everything, the EU, and with it Spain, refused to recognize the result of these elections. "The lack of political pluralism and the way the elections were planned and conducted, including the disqualification of opposition leaders, do not allow the EU to recognize this electoral process as credible, inclusive or transparent," the High Commissioner said in a statement. EU Foreign Policy Representative, Josep Borrell.

Thus, last weekend there was a meeting of the Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean of the Socialist International, of which both PSOE and AD are part.

During said meeting, a declaration was signed stating that "the member parties of the Socialist International do not recognize these spurious representatives" of AD, Primero Justicia and Voluntad Popular, parties in the same situation.

Likewise, they are considered "at the service of the regime" and that "they take steps before various international organizations and political parties to be recognized as legitimate authorities of the fraudulently appropriated parties."

The meetings have also generated discomfort in the 'embassy' maintained by the self-proclaimed president in charge of Venezuela, Juan Guaidó in Spain. This has been made known through a letter sent to Albares himself, to which Europa Press has had access.

In it, they underline that they are "usurpers" who are part of an Assembly that does not recognize the Spanish Government and that the leader of the party they represent, José Bernabé Gutiérrez, was sanctioned by the EU in February 2021.