Dominican leftist groups declare Venezuelan opposition leader ‘persona non grata’ ahead of visit

Santo Domingo.- Dominican leftist groups have declared Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia “persona non grata” just days before his scheduled visit to Santo Domingo on Thursday. González Urrutia is on a tour across several American countries seeking support for his claim to the Venezuelan presidency, which he aims to assume on January 10.

In a strongly worded statement, the leftist factions described González Urrutia as “a fugitive from Venezuelan justice,” accusing him of a litany of crimes including conspiracy, complicity in violent acts, and usurpation of authority. The statement claims the Venezuelan Prosecutor’s Office has issued a warrant for his arrest, citing charges such as document forgery, incitement to disobedience, and criminal association.

The groups called on Dominican President Luis Abinader to respect international law and Venezuela’s sovereignty by recognizing Nicolás Maduro as the legitimate president, based on the July 28 election results.

Despite the protests, President Abinader is set to meet González Urrutia at the National Palace in Santo Domingo on Thursday. The visit will coincide with a series of events involving former presidents from the Initiative for Democratic Cooperation of Spain and the Americas (IDEA), a move criticized by the leftist groups as an aggressive international maneuver against Venezuela’s stability and institutions.

The declaration, endorsed by organizations such as the Force of the Revolution, the Caamañista Movement, and the Dominican Committee of Solidarity with Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution, reflects deep divisions over the ongoing political crisis in Venezuela. These groups argue that supporting González Urrutia undermines the legitimacy of Maduro’s government.

The Venezuelan opposition, led by González Urrutia, maintains that they have gathered 85% of the electoral records, which were made publicly available online, demonstrating his victory. The Venezuelan government, however, dismisses these documents as forgeries and continues to withhold the official election results, further fueling the controversy.

As tensions rise, all eyes are on Santo Domingo, where the fallout from González Urrutia’s visit could have broader implications for regional politics and the international stance on Venezuela’s contested leadership.