Edmundo Gonzalez flees to Spain after Venezuela's disputed election

Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez on Sunday landed in Madrid, Spain, and is seeking asylum after fleeing his home country amid an arrest warrant.

Gonzalez, his wife and Spanish officials arrived at Torrejon de Ardoz military air base aboard a Spanish Air Force plane.

He had been in hiding since July 30.

Gonzalez, 75, is accused of terrorism, conspiracy and other crimes related to July's disputed presidential election won by incumbent Nicolas Maduro for a third term. The country's electoral authority, which includes Maduro's allies, said he won with 51% of the vote.

Venezuela's opposition as well as several Latin American leaders refused to recognize Maduro's victory. There were protests that results in deaths and thousands of arrests.

"The Government of Spain is committed to the political rights and physical integrity of all Venezuelans," Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares wrote on X.

Venezuela agreed to his safe passage.

Gonzalez "has left the country and requested political asylum" from Spain, according to Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said in a statement Saturday.

She said Gonzalez had been staying at Spain's embassy in the capital Caracas, as a "voluntary refugee." Venezuela allowed him to leave "for the sake of the tranquility and political peace of the country," she said

María Corina Machado, who is the Venezuelan opposition's overall leader, said Gonzalez fled "to preserve his freedom, his integrity and his life."

She accused Maduro's administration of unleashing "a brutal wave of repression" after the disputed election's results.

The United States government maintains that no evidence has been produced showing Maduro won legitimately.

The State Department said despite repeated calls for the tally sheets from within Venezuela and internationally, "the Maduro-controlled National Electoral Council (CNE) has failed to substantiate its announced results by producing original tally sheets."

"González Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela's July 28 presidential election, and this arbitrary and politically motivated action is a low point in Nicolás Maduro's ruthless pursuit of his political opponents following his attempts to steal the July 28 presidential election," the State Department said in a statement.

The United States government also has also seized one of Maduro's planes in the Dominican Republic on the island of Hispaniola.

Dassault Falcon 900EX is a three-engine corporate jet, which allegedly was purchased for $13 million and smuggled out of the country in violation of U.S. law in early 2023, the Justice Department said Monday.