Venezuelan Opposition Leader Edmundo González Flees to Spain

Edmundo González, the Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate defeated by Nicolás Maduro amid allegations of election fraud, has fled to Spain and been granted political asylum. He arrived in Madrid on a Spanish Air Force plane after seeking refuge at the Spanish embassy in Caracas due to a recent arrest warrant issued against him by the Maduro regime. Venezuelan authorities had intensified their crackdown on opposition figures following the controversial elections on July 28, which many international observers did not recognize. María Corina Machado, the opposition's leader, stated that González's life was at risk due to increasing threats from the government. The Venezuelan government claimed González's departure was voluntary and aimed at promoting political peace, while human rights groups continue to report widespread violations against critics of the regime. The situation remains tense for other opposition members as the political crisis deepens.