Venezuela: Mass exodus after Maduro's election fraud as regime threatens the Netherlands for harboring opposition candidate González

The electoral fraud perpetrated by dictator Nicolás Maduro is already generating a first reaction that threatens regional stability: a potential new migratory exodus.

According to data from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), at the border crossing that separates Santa Elena de Uairén(Venezuela) and Pacaraima(Brazil) incomes rose by 33.6% last month, a figure that puts the number of migrants at a record high, a figure that puts on alert the government of Lula da Silva, who has not been successful in joint negotiations with Colombia and Mexico to soften the position of the dictator Maduro, increasingly entrenched in his effort to stay in power.

According to UNHCR, following the July 28 elections, where opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez received the majority of legal votes, asylum applications from Venezuelans increased by 25% to 1,907.

Also, since August 28, the Brazilian city of Pacaraima, which leads into the state of Roraima, received 11,325 new immigrants, compared to 8,477 the previous month, representing an increase of 33.6%. There were also 4,393 applications for residency in Brazil, representing a 9% increase.

According to a report by Infobae, faced with the considerable increase in the migratory flow, the Brazilian government reactivated 'Operation Acolhida', created in 2018 to receive the massive exodus of Venezuelans at that time.

The operation, which is under the command of the Brazilian Armed Forces, starts with a migration checkpoint in Pacaraima, where migrants apply for temporary residence in Brazil and refugee status at the same time.

Brazilian authorities are concerned about the political crisis in the neighboring country since July 28. After the Venezuelan National Electoral Council (CNE) announced -without evidence- the "triumph" of Maduro, the Chavista regime lashed out against dissidence by arresting more than 2,000 people, kidnapping dozens of activists and political leaders and murdering dozens of Venezuelans.

In turn, in conjunction with the support of the Spanish Government, the Maduro regime managed to provoke the exile of opposition leader Gonzalez to Spain, who had to be protected by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Caracas amidst strong threats against his freedom and family.

Due to the protection of Gonzalez in the Embassy of the Netherlands, the Maduro regime is threatening the European country asking for "explanations" for "hiding" the opposition candidate.

In fact, the Venezuelan Foreign Minister, Yván Gil, announced that the regime will present a note of protest to the Netherlands.

After Gonzalez's departure to Spain, Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp revealed to the Dutch Parliament that the candidate had taken refuge in the ambassador's residence on July 29.

For this reason, Gil reproached the Netherlands for not having informed about the "concealment" of the former diplomat as a "guest."

The Chavista minister said that the Dutch Government "will have to clarify" why it "hid" this fact and, furthermore, "insisted" that Gonzalez remained in the Embassy after he allegedly confirmed that he wanted to leave the Dutch residence and leave Venezuela.

According to Gil, the Netherlands had "an intention to hold González Urrutia against his will."