The plenary session of the Arrecife City Council has approved recognizing Edmundo González as president-elect of Venezuela and condemns the regime of Nicolás Maduro. The motion, presented by the municipal group of the PP in the Arrecife City Council, led by its mayor Yonathan de León, was approved in the plenary session held this Friday, with the votes of the PP, and the mixed group. Coalición Canaria abstained and the PSOE voted against.
The capital of Lanzarote, an island where the former president of the Government of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, has a summer residence, has recognized Edmundo González Urrutia as the legitimate winner of the presidential elections held in July 2024 in Venezuela and, therefore, as the president-elect of the country, linked throughout the last centuries to the Canary Islands, from where thousands of emigrants left, many of them originally from the island of Lanzarote, and its capital, Arrecife.
The PP's motion, defended by the second deputy mayor, Roberto Herbón, agrees to urge the international community, especially the European Union, to assume a leadership role in its recognition of Urrutia as the legitimate president of Venezuela, in order to ensure that he takes office on January 10, 2025.
Similarly, the plenary session, with this agreement in its last plenary session of 2024, condemns the repression exercised by the dictatorial regime of Nicolás Maduro against opponents, journalists and human rights activists, demanding the immediate cessation of violence, the release of political prisoners and respect for peaceful protests.
The PP recalled today in the debate on the motion that "on July 28, 2024, Venezuelan citizens participated in a decisive electoral process that resulted in the election of Edmundo González Urrutia as the legitimate president of the country, thus reflecting the will of the Venezuelan people. However, the Nicolás Maduro regime has tried to ignore this result, falsely proclaiming itself as the winner. This situation has triggered a political and human rights crisis that deeply concerns the international community, given the obvious attempt to subvert the democratic sovereignty expressed at the polls."
In the presentation made by the second deputy mayor, Roberto Herbón, it is said that the "technical report of the Comando Con Venezuela, presented to the Organization of American States (OAS), ratifies the victory of Edmundo González Urrutia through the analysis of original records. In addition, the Carter Center, in its role as an authorized International Observer, has issued a report detailing serious irregularities and documenting the attempts of fraud by the Maduro regime, who seeks to perpetuate himself in power against the will of the citizens."
From the Arrecife City Council, which this December 27 commemorates the founding day of the municipality on the 226th anniversary, committed to human rights and the defense of democratic values, cannot remain silent in the face of the oppression and injustices suffered by the Venezuelan people, and it is our responsibility to raise our voice in favor of freedom, justice and democracy, and to call on the international community to unite in defense of these fundamental principles, according to the approved. Thus, after the vote and approval, Arrecife expresses its support for Venezuelan sovereignty, shows solidarity with the people of Venezuela and rejects any attempt to manipulate the electoral results.
The approval of the motion includes:
1. Institutional Recognition: The Arrecife City Council expresses its recognition of Edmundo González Urrutia as the legitimately elected president of Venezuela, in accordance with the results of July 28, 2024 and the sovereign will expressed by the Venezuelan people.
2. International Support and Call to the International Community: We urge the Government of the Canary Islands to promote, in coordination with the Government of Spain and international organizations, concrete measures to ensure respect for democracy and human rights in Venezuela. We call on other local, national and international entities to join this declaration of support for the Venezuelan people.
3. Condemnation of Repression and Attempted Fraud: The Arrecife City Council firmly condemns the repression exercised by the Nicolás Maduro regime against Venezuelan citizens and rejects any attempt to manipulate or ignore the electoral results of July 28. The democracy and rights of the Venezuelan people cannot be ignored.
4. Support for Technical Reports: The Arrecife City Council commits to disseminate and support the reports issued by the Comando Con Venezuela and the Carter Center, which document the victory of Edmundo González and denounce the irregularities and fraudulent acts promoted by the Maduro regime.
5. Solidarity with the Venezuelan Diaspora and Humanitarian Commitment: The city of Arrecife reaffirms its commitment to human rights and shows its solidarity with the Venezuelan people, including the Venezuelan community in our municipality. We also express our willingness to support humanitarian aid initiatives that benefit the Venezuelan people in their struggle for freedom and democracy.
This motion is an expression of our commitment to justice, freedom and democracy in the international arena. We cannot be indifferent to the suffering of the Venezuelan people or to the violation of their sovereign will. From Arrecife, recalls its mayor Yonathan de León, reiterates our support for democratic values and human rights, and we encourage all levels of government to join this just and supportive cause.
