Former Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González has gone into exile in Spain after being granted asylum, dealing a significant blow to millions of Venezuelans who had hoped his campaign would end two decades of single-party rule.
The unexpected departure of González, whom Venezuela’s opposition and several foreign governments recognize as the legitimate winner of the July presidential election, was confirmed late Saturday by Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez.
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She stated that the government allowed González safe passage out of the country just days after ordering his arrest, in an effort to restore “political peace and tranquility” in Venezuela. Neither González nor opposition leader Maria Corina Machado have commented on the situation.
Spain’s center-left government clarified that González made the decision to leave Venezuela on his own, departing on a plane sent by the Spanish air force. “Spain is committed to the political rights and physical integrity of all Venezuelans,” Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said on the social media platform X.
González, a 75-year-old former diplomat, had been a last-minute substitute candidate after Machado was banned from running. Despite being relatively unknown to most Venezuelans, his campaign quickly gained momentum, inspiring hope among many citizens weary of the country’s prolonged economic crisis.
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Although President Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner of the July election, many Western governments have not recognized the result, demanding a detailed breakdown of the votes.
According to tally sheets collected by opposition volunteers from over two-thirds of the electronic voting machines, González won by a margin of more than 2-to-1.
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