About six weeks after Venezuela’s controversial elections, opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez left the South American country. A few days ago, Gonzalez took refuge in the Spanish embassy in Caracas and requested asylum.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Sunday on the online platform X that Gonzalez traveled from Caracas to Spain on a Spanish Air Force plane at his own request. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez confirmed the departure.
An arrest warrant was recently issued for Gonzalez, which has been sharply criticized internationally. It is unclear to what extent González’s departure will change the political situation.
Excitement over election fraud in Venezuela
After the presidential election on July 28, the loyal electoral authority declared authoritarian head of state Nicolás Maduro, who had been in power for eleven years, the winner. However, the detailed results were not published. The opposition accuses the government of electoral fraud and claims victory for González.
She published data that she said included the results of more than 83 percent of the constituencies. Accordingly, González would have received 67 percent of the votes and Maduro only 30 percent. The United States and several Latin American countries recognize González as the winner of the election. The European Union also doubts the official election results.
During the elections, there were protests that were violently suppressed by the state. According to the human rights organization Provea, 25 people were killed and more than 2,400 arrested. The opposition denounced the arbitrary arrests of some of its representatives.
Memories of 2018 come back
Maduro’s previous re-election in 2018 was not recognized by many countries. Then-parliamentary president Juan Guaidó declared himself interim president, but was unable to assert himself in the country – mainly because the military supported Maduro. He became president in 2013 after the death of Hugo Chávez, his designated successor.
Venezuela suffers from mismanagement, corruption and international sanctions. More than 80 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. According to the UN, more than seven million people – about a quarter of the population – have left the country in recent years.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
