Venezuelan opposition leader granted asylum in Spain amid turmoil
Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, the opposition candidate for Venezuela's presidency, has fled to Spain, where he has obtained asylum. The politician had been hiding since the opposition challenged the results of the presidential election on 28 July. However, according to many countries, he was the actual winner.
After the 28 July election, the regime declared Nicolas Maduro the winner without presenting any evidence. Conversely, the opposition published reports from electoral commissions showing a significant victory for Gonzalez.
The USA, European Union countries, and some South American nations also recognise Gonzalez Urrutia as the winner. Following the announcement of the election results, the country saw numerous protests.
Gonzalez was pursued by the country's justice system after failing to appear at the prosecutor's office three times during an investigation into "acts of electoral sabotage."
Former presidential candidate of Venezuela obtained asylum in Spain
González has left the country and requested political asylum, informed Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez Gomez, as quoted by the Associated Press.
AP reports that the Venezuelan Vice President indicated that just a few days after an arrest warrant was issued, the government decided to grant Gonzalez Urrutia safe passage out of the country "for the sake of the tranquility and political peace of the country."
The Spanish Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares, confirmed these reports. "Edmundo Gonzalez departed from Caracas to Spain on a Spanish Air Force plane," he wrote, adding that his country responded to the Venezuelan opposition leader's request. Gonzalez arrived in Madrid accompanied by his wife.
According to the Reuters agency, Spanish officials, including former Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, negotiated with Venezuelan authorities about Gonzalez's departure from the country.
"Today is a sad day for democracy in Venezuela" - stated Josep Borrell, responsible for the EU's foreign policy. "In a democracy, no political leader should be forced to seek asylum in another country" - he added.
