Venezuela opposition leader González seeks asylum in Spain
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Edmundo González, Venezuela's opposition presidential candidate, in Caracas, Venezuela, in May. Photo: Gaby Oraa/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Edmundo González, Venezuela's opposition presidential candidate that the U.S. and other nations recognized as the winner of Venezuela's July elections, has gone into exile in Spain, Spanish officials said Sunday.
Why it matters: His departure from Venezuela comes days after Venezuelan authorities allied with leader Nicolás Maduro issued a warrant for González's arrest, accusing him of "crimes associated with terrorism."
- Opposition coalition parties have said González has been persecuted since the elections and accused Maduro of using "state terrorism" to stay in power, with dozens of political prisoners detained.
- Secretary of State Tony Blinken said in a statement late Sunday that González's action is "the direct result of the anti-democratic measures" that Maduro "has unleashed on the Venezuelan people ... since the election."
Driving the news: Spain's foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, told Spanish outlet RTVE Sunday that González had requested asylum in the country and "the Spanish government will of course process this and concede it."
What he's saying: "My departure from Caracas was marked by episodes of pressure, coercion and threats," González said in a recorded voice message after arriving in Madrid.
- "I trust that soon we will continue the fight to achieve freedom and recover democracy in Venezuela."
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