Opposition politician González in Spain

He sees himself as the rightful winner of the Venezuelan presidential election in July: After opposition politician González fled to the Spanish embassy because of an arrest warrant, he has now fled to Spain.

Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia has left the country after the presidential election in July, which was overshadowed by allegations of fraud. González, who is recognized as the election winner by the US and other countries, was flown to Spain on a Spanish Air Force plane at his own request, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said on Platform X.

The Foreign Ministry later reported that González had landed at a military airfield near Madrid. He was accompanied by his wife and Spanish government officials.

Venezuela's government confirmed the opposition politician's departure, which it had previously approved. “Today, September 7, Edmundo González Urrutia left the country,” Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said in online networks.

After he took refuge in the Spanish embassy in Caracas a few days ago, “he requested political asylum from the Spanish government” and Venezuela granted “the necessary passes”.

Opposition leader excluded from election

After the presidential election on July 28, the party-line electoral authority declared the authoritarian head of state Nicolás Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, the winner. The Supreme Court, which is also loyal to the government, confirmed the result. However, the government did not publish the detailed results.

The opposition accuses the government of electoral fraud and claims victory for González, while the United Nations also questioned the legitimacy of the election. The 75-year-old became a candidate after opposition leader María Corina Machado was banned from holding public office for 15 years in July 2023 due to alleged irregularities during her time as a member of parliament.