- Manos Limpias accused the former president of “receiving benefits” from the Venezuelan State
On Monday, August 19, the Spanish union Manos Limpias denounced former president of that country José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his alleged collaboration in crimes against humanity in Venezuela.
According to the document, which the Spanish media had access to The ObjectiveThe former president is described as an “ally of the regime” and accused of “pressuring the opposition and acting in favor of Maduro on the international scene.”
In this regard, Manos Limpias accused Rodríguez Zapatero of receiving benefits from the government of Nicolás Maduro.
“Despite international reports on the crisis in Venezuela, Rodríguez Zapatero has been accused of receiving benefits from the regime, such as the exploitation of a gold mine and oil contracts,” he said.
He also insisted that these accusations against the former president have generated “controversy and public denunciations, even within his own party in Spain.”
Manos Limpias pointed out that Zapatero contrasts with the critical stance of other socialist leaders, such as the former Spanish president Felipe González.
What did Manos Limpias base its complaint on?
The union said its complaint is based on a series of facts about the situation in Venezuela. Manos Limpias cited the 2017 report presented by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
In that document, the IACHR revealed a weakening of democratic institutions in Venezuela. The international organization also denounced the deterioration of human rights in Venezuela since 2015.
![Protests in Venezuela: citizens face repression from security forces](https://i0.wp.com/eldiario.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/WhatsApp-Image-2024-07-29-at-6.58.43-PM-scaled.jpeg?resize=800%2C533&ssl=1)
On the other hand, Manos Limpias recalled that in 2018 the Organization of American States (OAS) warned that a system of widespread and systematic attacks against opponents of the regime was implemented in Venezuela.
The organization also recalled that that same year, the leaders of several American countries requested an investigation into alleged crimes against humanity in Venezuela before the ICC.
Manos Limpias also considered the current political context following the presidential elections of July 28 in Venezuela.
“After an election in which Nicolás Maduro was defeated by the opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, the Bolivarian regime refused to acknowledge the defeat, intensifying the repression against the opposition, through arrests and torture,” he explained.
![Citizens participate in the Great World Protest to ratify the triumph of Edmundo González](https://i0.wp.com/eldiario.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/manifestaciones-caracas-17-de-agosto-4-1200x900.jpg?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1)
PP demanded Zapatero explain his ties with Maduro
Elías Bendodo, vice-secretary of Autonomous and Municipal Coordination and Electoral Analysis of the Popular Party (PP) of Spain, asked Rodríguez Zapatero to explain his ties with Maduro.
“Does he charge for it? Does he speak on behalf of the Socialist Party or the Spanish government?” Bendodo questioned in statements collected by The Daily.es on August 14th.
Bendodo described as “worrying” the “complicit silence” of the Spanish government recognize the victory of Edmundo González’s opposition.
![Spain's Popular Party asked the government to recognize González Urrutia's victory in the Venezuelan elections](https://i0.wp.com/eldiario.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/el-actual-coordinador-general-del-pp-elias-bendodo-en-una-imagen-de-archivo-1200x675.jpeg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
On Friday, August 16, the Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, reiterated that his country is committed to the Venezuelan democratic cause. For this reason, he reported that Spain signed the Santo Domingo Declaration
“Spain is committed to democracy and human rights in Venezuela. That is why we are part of the Santo Domingo Declaration,” he wrote in X (formerly Twitter).
In this statement, Spain and the European Union requested the “immediate publication of all the original minutes” of the July 28 elections in Venezuela and the “impartial and independent” verification of the results.
Related news
#Zapatero #denounced #ICC #alleged #collaboration #crimes #humanity #Venezuela
2024-08-20 19:42:37