Venezuela opposition candidate Edmundo González leaves country for Spain

The Venezuelan government says opposition candidate Edmundo González asked Spain for political asylum.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS ElectionUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessWomen at the HelmFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersVenezuela's opposition leader leaves country for SpainReutersThe Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González is expected to arrive in Spain, where he will be granted political asylum.

A Spanish Air Force plane is due to land at Torrejon air base in Madrid. Mr González had departed the country at his own request, according to Spain's Minister of Foreign Affairs José Manuel Albares.

Mr González has been in hiding, with an arrest warrant issued for him after the opposition disputed July's presidential election result - in which the government-controlled National Electoral Council (CNE) declared Nicolás Maduro the winner.

Venezuela's Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez said Mr González had asked the Spanish government for political asylum.

She said in a social media post that after "voluntarily" seeking refuge at the Spanish embassy in Caracas some days ago, Madrid had agreed to his safe passage.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c14zdypxr7no

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