Venezuela Update: Key Developments from September 18

• Edmundo González denounced that he was coerced into signing a document recognizing the TSJ ruling. The Spanish Senate recognized González as “president-elect” of Venezuela. The Czech Republic denied participating in an alleged plan to overthrow Nicolás Maduro. And a new wave of pager device explosions was recorded in Lebanon

On Wednesday, September 18, Edmundo González published a video in which he claimed that he was coerced by Jorge Rodríguez to sign a document recognizing the Supreme Court’s ruling on the presidential elections before leaving the country. In parallel, the Spanish Senate approved recognizing the opposition leader as the “elected and legitimate president” of Venezuela.

For its part, the Czech government has spoken out to deny the accusations of the government of Nicolás Maduro that link it to an alleged destabilization plan following the arrest of a Czech citizen. In the state of Nueva Esparta, a waterspout destroyed at least 16 houses in the municipality of García.

In international news, Lebanon reported a new wave of explosions of electronic devices, which it denounced as alleged Israeli attacks. Meanwhile, a report by the Spanish government warned that 51% of women advertising prostition services in its country are Latin American migrants.

Below are the most important news of the day:

1. Edmundo González assured that he signed the decree shown by Jorge Rodríguez under duress

Photo: EFE

Opposition leader in exile Edmundo González spoke out on Wednesday, September 18, to clarify the alleged document with his signature in which he recognizes the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) ruling that proclaimed Nicolás Maduro as the winner of the presidential elections. In a video, he said that he was subjected to coercion and that “it is void” because it did not have his consent.

He said that the president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, and the executive vice president Delcy Rodríguez met with González while he was taking refuge in the Spanish Embassy. There they presented him with the document and told him that he had to sign it and leave the country. All this in the presence of the Spanish ambassador Ramón Santos.

#Announcement to Venezuelans to inform them of the whole truth of what happened with my departure from Venezuela pic.twitter.com/SULvChfo9n

— Edmundo Gonzalez (@EdmundoGU) September 18, 2024

“In other words, either I signed or I would face the consequences. There were very tense hours of coercion, blackmail and pressure. At that time I considered that I could be more useful, free than locked up and unable to fulfill the tasks entrusted to me by the sovereign,” he said.

At the same time, Jorge Rodríguez presented the document at a press conference, as well as images of the moment in which González boarded a Spanish Air Force plane, escorted by Ambassador Santos. He denied having acted violently during the negotiations. “If in the next 24 hours you do not deny this unfortunate accusation that you have made, I will show the evidence of the conversations that you and I had face to face,” he ordered.

Photo: @Senadoesp

The Spanish Senate approved on Wednesday, September 18, a motion to recognize Edmundo González as the “elected and legitimate president of Venezuela.” It received 149 votes in favor, 102 votes against and 2 abstentions. It had previously been approved by the Chamber of Deputies with 177 votes in favor, 164 against and one abstention.

“The voting records presented by the democratic opposition show without any doubt that Venezuelans voted massively for a change of government and the opening of a transition process to democracy,” the document states.

The resolution also demands that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez abide by the decision and recognise González as the winner of the presidential elections on 28 July, as well as take the necessary measures to guarantee a political transition in Venezuela. The measure met with strong opposition in the Congress of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), to which Sánchez belongs.

Photo: courtesy

The Czech government on Wednesday, September 18, denied statements by Nicolás Maduro accusing the country of participating in alleged destabilization plans against Venezuela. It also sent a letter to the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry requesting detailed information on the arrest of a Czech citizen linked to these events.

“All claims about Czech involvement in a plan to overthrow the government of Nicolas Maduro have no real basis,” said Czech Foreign Ministry spokesman Daniel Drake.

According to Neovlivní.cz, the detainee was identified as Jan Darmovzal, 33 years old, and is believed to be an active reservist in the Czech Army. His arrest was announced on September 14 by the Minister of the Interior, Justice and Peace, Diosdado Cabello, along with two Spanish citizens and three Americans. He accused them of being part of a plan to assassinate Maduro and Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, among other pro-government politicians.

4. A dozen homes were affected by the passage of a waterspout in Nueva Esparta

Photo: courtesy of Tal Cual newspaper

At least 16 homes in the Brisas del Mar community, in the García municipality of Nueva Esparta state, were affected by a waterspout that occurred on September 17. The whirlpool knocked down the roofs and walls of the houses, located near the buildings, and blew away all the objects and animals inside. This left more than 50 people homeless and without material goods. No injuries were reported.

Mayor Cruz Lairet said he would meet with the affected people to address their basic needs, although he acknowledged that at this time the authorities do not have a place to relocate them. “We are going to talk (with the Ministry of Housing) to see what response they will give us. The families have already agreed to house their children or relatives while we resolve their problem,” he said.

The storm originated during heavy rainfall that affected the island. Civil Protection reported that it will maintain constant monitoring as the phenomenon could happen again due to the tropical wave season.

Photo: EFE/EPA/WAEL HAMZEH

For the second consecutive day, a wave of explosions of electronic devices was recorded in Lebanon, specifically of searchpersonas or beepers. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, on Wednesday, September 18, one person was reported dead and around 100 injured, which they said were alleged attacks orchestrated by Israel.

Meanwhile, the National News Agency (ANN) reported that three people died in one of the explosions in the town of Sahmar, in the Bekaa Valley. Other incidents occurred at the same time in Maryayoun (south), Hosh al Ghanam (east) and Tyre (south). Explosions were also reported in the southern suburbs of Beirut, known as Dahye.

Several of these explosions were carried out by devices in the possession of suspected militants of the terrorist group Hezbollah, which, like the Lebanese government, blames Israel. Tel Aviv has not yet issued a statement on the matter. In the meantime, the authorities are recommending that the population avoid gathering in the areas where the incidents occur.

Photo: iStock

Of the approximately 114,576 women in prostitution in Spain, 51% described themselves as “Latinas” in website advertisements. This is according to the report Macroestudio sobre Trata, Exploitación Sexual y Prostitución de Mujeres: Una Approximación Quantitativa, presented on Wednesday, September 18 by the Spanish government.

The study, which analysed more than 654 thousand advertisements published on the Internet, found that 16% of them were European and 29% did not mention their origin, according to the study prepared by the Spanish government. In the group of Latinas, the most numerous nationality was Colombian (28.3%), followed by Spanish (13.5%), Brazilian (4.98%) and Venezuelan (4.86%). 16% defined themselves as European and 29% did not mention their origin.

She added that 80% of these women could be at risk of trafficking for sexual exploitation or sexual exploitation and 8.5% at high risk. Added to this is another report by the association In Género, prepared from more than 4,000 questionnaires, which indicates that 63.2% of those surveyed came to Spain with an objective other than prostitution, while 36.8% did know that they would do so.

In The Diary We present you a news summary with the most important information of the day, which you should know about at the national and international level.

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