Venezuela: Spanish embassy takes in opposition figure

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - After being freed from house arrest on Tuesday, a prominent Venezuelan opposition leader has taken refuge in the Spanish Embassy in Caracas.

On Tuesday, Leopoldo Lopez was under house arrest when he was freed by armed forces loyal to Venezuela’s self-declared president, Juan Guaido. After his release, he first appeared in the Chilean Embassy with his wife and daughter, but later, they decided to move to Spanish Embassy in Venezuela, said Chilean Foreign Minister Roberto Ampuero.

In 2015, Lopez was sentenced to nearly 14 years in prison for criminal association and inciting violence during deadly protests.

“Today the armed forces are clearly on the side of the Constitution,” said Guaido in a Twitter video on Tuesday. Standing in front of soldiers at an air force base, he called for a non-violent uprising to topple Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Clashes broke out on Tuesday between protestors, and Venezuelan law enforcement fired tear gas and used army vehicles to control the protests.

- Continued strife

Venezuela has been rocked by protests since Jan. 10 when Maduro was sworn in for a second term following a vote boycotted by the opposition.

Tensions rose when opposition leader Guaido declared himself acting president on Jan. 23, a move supported by the U.S. and many European and Latin American countries.

Russia, Turkey, China, Iran, Bolivia and Mexico have put their weight behind Maduro.

Venezuelan armed forces have been on the side of Maduro since the crisis broke out, but Tuesday’s events signal at least some division.

While some members of the military have apparently defected from Maduro, it has not been enough. On Tuesday, Guaido fell short of his goal of toppling Maduro.

“I want to thank all the people of Venezuela, for its courage against this frustrated coup d'etat,” tweeted Maduro late Tuesday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also condemned the attempt to overthrow the Venezuelan president, tweeting on Tuesday: “The whole world must respect the democratic choices of the Venezuelan people.”

Yet the strife in Venezuela has not reached a final conclusion.

“Tomorrow we continue with the execution of Operation Liberty. We begin the final phase and we will be in the streets until we achieve the cessation of the usurpation,” tweeted Guaido late Tuesday night.