Opposition leader María Corina Machado Turns down the political asylum granted to her by Costa Rica: "My responsibility is to continue this struggle together with the people from Venezuela"

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado rejected the offer of political asylum made by the Costa Rican government, despite facing an arrest warrant issued by the dictatorial Venezuelan regime.

In a statement published on X, Machado thanked the Costa Rican government for its offer, but stressed her commitment to the struggle for freedom in Venezuela and expressed concern for the asylum seekers in the Argentine embassy in Caracas.

"I am grateful for the generous hospitality of the Costa Rican government in reaction to the brutal repression of the Maduro regime against citizens who defend the results of the July 28 presidential election (...) My responsibility is to continue this struggle alongside the people. From Venezuela, thanks to the dear people and the Government of Costa Rica", he expressed.

Offer of asylum by Costa Rica

The Government of Costa Rica offered political asylum to Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia, presidential candidate, after learning of the arrest warrants issued against them in Venezuela. The Costa Rican Foreign Minister, Arnoldo André, announced the offer in a video shared on social media. André also extended the offer to other politically persecuted people in Venezuela, especially those sheltered in the Argentine embassy in Caracas.

"We have been informed that there are warrants of apprehension, capture and arrest against María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia in Venezuela. The Government of the Republic announces that we are willing to grant political asylum in Costa Rica to them as well as to other politically persecuted people," said André.

The arrest warrant

Dictator Nicolas Maduro indicted Gonzalez Urrutia and Machado for the deaths that occurred during the recent protests in Venezuela. According to non-governmental organizations, at least 11 people lost their lives in these clashes.

The demonstrations arose as a peaceful response to the results of the presidential elections, in which Maduro was proclaimed the winner by the electoral body controlled by his regime. However, these protests were severely repressed by the security forces, who used pellets and tear gas to quell the demonstrators.