Caracas (EFE).- The Venezuelan Ministry of Interior asked the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) on Friday to revoke the nationality of opposition leader Yon Goicoechea for «soliciting the invasion» of Venezuela.
In addition, the ministry announced that «administrative measures» would be taken to eliminate all documents identifying Goicoechea as a Venezuelan citizen.
Goicoechea, a Venezuelan lawyer and activist, was a leader of the Venezuelan Student Movement in response to Hugo Chávez’s attempts to amass more presidential power. He holds Spanish citizenship and currently resides outside of Venezuela.
In a statement, the Ministry of Interior explained that it made this request due to Goicoechea’s «public call» to solicit and cooperate with foreign forces for the invasion and military occupation of Venezuela.
The statement also mentioned that the United States has a naval and aerial deployment in the Caribbean Sea, which Caracas considers an attempt to remove President Nicolás Maduro from power.
According to the Ministry of Interior’s statement, Goicoechea called for «persecuting and exterminating officials of the different security forces and the Bolivarian National Armed Forces,» as well as the «mass assassination of Venezuelans who are part of the Popular Power movements and organizations.»
On Thursday, Goicoechea posted on X that he would be imprisoned if he went to Venezuela and said that he had not been granted Venezuelan documents «for years.»
«What are they going to take from me? My feelings? Having been born in Venezuela? They don’t have the power to do that. You’re a sad clown, and soon you’ll be a sad, imprisoned clown,» he wrote on X in a message directed at politician Luis Ratti.
In response, Ratti wrote that Goicoechea would «formally» be added to a list of individuals with «no legal relationship» to Venezuela.
This is the second request for the withdrawal of nationality made by Venezuela, after Maduro filed an appeal with the TSJ against Leopoldo López on Friday, accusing him of calling for a «military invasion,» as well as the «permanent promotion of the economic blockade» and «calling for the mass assassination of Venezuelans in complicity with foreign governments and enemies.»
Executive Vice President Delcy Rodríguez announced this information on Saturday, when she also announced that the annulment of López’s passport, exiled in Madrid since 2020, would proceed «immediately.»
Maduro’s request came after López said negotiation no longer serves to achieve political change in Venezuela and that he sees the US’ «pressure» as the solution.
López said he supports a US attack on Venezuelan soil that would end with Maduro’s removal.
On Wednesday, Venezuela’s president reported that he had asked the TSJ for «constitutional consideration» to strip the nationality of any «traitor» who «joins an imperialist foreign army to invade» Venezuela, a charge he leveled at López. EFE
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