ベネズエラの野党指導者、秘密裏に出国しスペインへ

【マドリードＡＦＰ＝時事】南米ベネズエラの野党指導者レオポルド・ロペス氏が、約1年半避難していた首都カラカスのスペイン大使公邸を離れ、出国していたことが分かった。ロペス氏の父が24日、明らかにした。（写真はベネズエラの野党指導者レオポルド・ロペス氏。同国首都カラカスのスペイン大使館前で）
　スペインに住むロペス氏の父はＡＦＰに対し、ロペス氏が「自らの意志で大使館を離れ、秘密裏にベネズエラを出国した」と述べた。
　その後、ロペス氏自身もこれを認めるように、「この決断をするのは簡単ではなかったが、どんな場所からでも闘う自分を頼りにしてほしい」と、ツイッターに投稿した。
　カラカスの高級地区であるチャカオの市長でもあったロペス氏は、大規模な反政府デモが始まった２０１４年に逮捕され、数年の収監を経て自宅軟禁下に置かれた。
　その後、自身を軟禁していた軍当局によって解放され、スペイン大使の公邸に保護を求めた。
　ロペス氏の父によると、同氏は２３日にコロンビアに入国。現在は妻と３人の子どもと再会するため、スペイン・マドリードへ向かっているという。
　ベネズエラのニコラス・マドゥロ政権はこれでのところ、ロペス氏の亡命についてコメントしていない。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/10/26-12:38）

Leopoldo Lopez, a Venezuelan opposition figure who has sheltered at the Spanish ambassador's residence in Caracas for 18 months, has now fled the country, his father told AFP Saturday.
I can confirm he left the embassy of his own free will and left Venezuela in secret, his father, who is also called Leopoldo Lopez and who lives in Spain, told AFP.
Later, the younger Lopez himself seemed to confirm the news.
Venezuelans, this decision has not been easy, but be assured that you can count on this servant to fight from any space, he wrote on Twitter.
Lopez, the former mayor of Chacao, a chic Caracas district, was arrested in 2014 when mass opposition protests began in Venezuela, and served several years in prison before being released to house arrest.
He was freed by military officials who were keeping him under house arrest and sought refuge inside the Spanish ambassador's residence.
The senior Lopez said his son had left the embassy about two days ago and crossed the border into Colombia on Friday.
He has since moved on and was heading to Madrid to be reunited with his wife and three children.
We hope he will be here tomorrow, said Lopez senior, a member of the European Parliament for Spain's rightwing Popular Party.
The Venezuelan government of Nicolas Maduro has not yet reacted publicly to the latest exile of a high-profile opponent.
But the United States welcomed the news.
We are happy to see Leopoldo Lopez free. The illegitimate regime has hundreds of prisoners because they do not agree with Maduro, they represent a threat because the people are with them, or they have the audacity to ask for the rights of the Constitution, tweeted the virtual US embassy for Venezuela, located in Colombia.
And Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido greeted the news jubilantly, tweeting: Maduro, you don't control anything.
His Popular Will party said Lopez will initiate new actions in favor of the struggle for freedom in Venezuela.
But for political analyst Jesus Castillo-Molleda, the departure weakens Guaido within an already divided opposition.
It is the signal that Guaido is heading towards the exit, the analyst said.
As president of the National Assembly, Guaido proclaimed himself interim president of Venezuela in 2019, calling Maduro's re-election a fraud.
Since then Guaido has been trying, in vain and despite international support, to oust Maduro, political heir of the late President Hugo Chavez.
In power since 2013, Maduro continues to enjoy the support of the army, the cornerstone of the Venezuelan political system, as well as Russia, Iran and Cuba.
Lopez's exile comes ahead of legislative elections called by the government for December 6. The opposition has called for a boycott of the vote.