Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, an opposition leader in Venezuela, is facing arrest for allegedly forging election documents and trying to undermine the government’s Electoral Council.
The vice president of Venezuela revealed on Saturday that Gonzalez has sought political asylum in Spain, leaving the country after the disputed results of the July election were announced. The National Electoral Council declared President Nicolas Maduro the winner without releasing detailed voting data, leading to accusations of electoral fraud.
Despite Gonzalez going into hiding, the opposition released detailed voting tallies online, claiming he won by a significant margin. This resulted in warrants being issued for his arrest by Attorney General Tarek William Saab.
After failing to appear for the investigation, Gonzalez sought asylum at the Spanish embassy in Caracas, which was granted by the government.
Gonzalez’s lawyer confirmed his departure to AFP, and Spain’s foreign minister stated that a Spanish air force plane was sent to pick him up.
Gonzalez, who ran against Maduro as an unknown candidate, was supported by international observers who criticized the lack of credibility in the election results. The U.S., EU, and other countries have refused to recognize Maduro as the winner without a breakdown of the election results.
Maduro’s government blamed a cyberattack for not releasing detailed voting data, while Delcy Rodriguez, the vice president, has faced sanctions for human rights abuses and corruption.
The situation has drawn condemnation from several international partners, with calls for a peaceful transition of power in Venezuela.
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