Opposition candidate in the Venezuelan presidential elections, Edmundo González, is reported to have left the country and arrived in Spain, where he has sought political asylum.
González had been in hiding since July due to an arrest warrant issued by authorities after the opposition contested the results of the presidential elections, in which the government-controlled National Electoral Council declared Nicolás Maduro the winner. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez stated in a social media post that after seeking voluntary refuge at the Spanish embassy in Caracas a few days ago, González requested political asylum from the Spanish government.
She added that Caracas had agreed to his safe passage and that he had departed.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares confirmed that González had left the country at his own request and with an aircraft from the Spanish Air Force.
Venezuela has been in a political crisis since authorities declared President Maduro the winner of the July 28 elections.
A number of countries, including the United States, the European Union, and several Latin American countries, have refused to recognize President Maduro as the winner without the publication of detailed voting data from Caracas.
