Venezuela’s González vows to ‘continue to fight’ for democracy
Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González has pledged to “continue to fight” for democracy in Venezuela following his asylum grant in Spain.
González left Venezuela on Saturday, having spent weeks in hiding at the Spanish embassy in Caracas. He arrived with his wife at Madrid’s Torrejón de Ardoz military air base around 16:00 local time (14:00 GMT).
The 75-year-old’s departure came after the turmoil that followed the 28 July elections, where President Nicolás Maduro declared victory—a result contested by González and many international observers.
In a message shared by his press team, González expressed confidence that the fight for freedom and the restoration of democracy in Venezuela would soon continue.
Before leaving, an arrest warrant had been issued against him in Venezuela, with accusations of conspiracy and document forgery among other serious charges.
González thanked his supporters for their solidarity and confirmed his arrival in Spain, noting that his departure from Caracas was fraught with pressure, coercion, and threats that he might not be permitted to leave.
Earlier, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado revealed on social media that González had left because his life was at risk due to a “brutal wave of repression” following the elections.
Machado, a prominent figure in Venezuelan politics, had been expected to challenge Maduro but was prevented from doing so at the last minute by pro-Maduro institutions.
The opposition alleges that González won the election by a significant margin and has posted detailed voting data online to support their claim. The US, the EU, and most foreign governments have not recognized Maduro’s victory without Caracas providing comprehensive voting data to substantiate the results.
In a statement on Sunday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Mr Gonzalez’s departure from Venezuela “is the direct result of the anti-democratic measures that Nicolás Maduro has unleashed on the Venezuelan people, including [Edmundo] González Urrutia and other opposition leaders, since the election.”
He added: “The election results and the will of the people cannot be merely swept aside by Maduro and the Venezuelan electoral authorities. We stand with González Urrutia in his call to continue the struggle for liberty and the restoration of democracy in Venezuela.”
Earlier on Sunday, the Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell said: “Today is a sad day for democracy in Venezuela.” He added that “in a democracy, no political leader should be forced to seek asylum in another country”.
He said Venezuela needed to end its oppression of opposition leaders and free all political prisoners.
Speaking at a socialist party meeting on Saturday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described Mr González as “a hero who Spain will not abandon.”
The country’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said Madrid would grant Mr González asylum as it was “committed to the political rights” of all Venezuelans.
Mr González’s departure came as security forces in Venezuela surrounded the Argentine embassy in the capital, Caracas, where six opposition figures have been sheltering.
The country’s foreign ministry alleged that terrorist acts were being plotted inside.
