Venezuela's opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez leaves country amid arrest warrant
Sep 08, 2024
Caracas [Venezuela], September 8 : Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez has left the country and is heading to Spain, his lawyer and Venezuela's vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, has announced, CNN reported.
He departed from Venezuela after an arrest warrant was issued against him last week, accusing him of terrorism, conspiracy, and other crimes related to the presidential election held in July.
In a statement, Delcy Rodriguez said, "Today, September 7, opposition citizen Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who has been a voluntary refugee in the Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain in Caracas for several days, has left the country and requested political asylum from that government."
She stated Venezuela allowed Gonzalez to leave "for the sake of the tranquility and political peace of the country."
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Gonzalez was "at his own request" travelling to Spain on a Spanish Air Force plane, according to CNN report.
Taking to X, he stated, "The Government of Spain is committed to the political rights and physical integrity of all Venezuelans."
Previously, Edmundo Gonzalez ignored at least three summons to appear before prosecutors as part of a probe into claims he secured victory in the presidential polls, CNN reported.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was declared the winner of the election with 51 per cent of the vote by the country's electoral authority--a body stacked with the president's allies, despite thousands of election tallies released by the opposition that demonstrated a convincing win for Gonzalez.
The opposition in Venezuela and various Latin American leaders refused to recognise Maduro's victory, which erupted protests in the country in which thousands were arrested, CNN reported.
Recently, the US pressurised the Venezuelan government to "immediately" release specific data about the presidential polls, citing concerns regarding the credibility of Nicolas Maduro's claimed victory, as it also seized one of Maduro's aircraft, saying it was purchased in violation of US sanctions.
