Venezuela's former opposition candidate Edmundo González fled to Spain yesterday after being granted asylum. The departure comes days after a Venezuelan judge issued an arrest warrant for González related to the contested presidential election.
At the center of the dispute are thousands of voting tally sheets obtained by opposition volunteers. Incumbent President Nicolás Maduro declared victory hours after the July 28 election but did not publish district-level voter data. The opposition party collected and published copies of what it said were close to 80% of the tally sheets indicating González won the election by a large margin—a claim backed by the US. In response, a court considered by critics to be loyal to Maduro said the opposition faked their tallies, charging González with falsifying documents and conspiracy, among other crimes.
González's departure appears likely to dampen weeks of protests resulting in the detention of over 2,400 people. The opposition party says González still intends to attend a swearing-in ceremony in January, maintaining he is the next president.
Comments