Venezuela opposition leader Gonzalez lands in Spain seeking asylum

Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez flew into Spain on Sunday to seek asylum, Madrid said, hours after quitting his country amid a political and diplomatic crisis over July's disputed election.

Gonzalez - who has challenged President Nicolas Maduro's declaration of victory - arrived at the Torrejon de Ardoz military base with his wife, Spain's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The exit of the 75-year-old - seen by the US, the EU and other powers in the region as the winner of the disputed vote - came a week after Venezuelan authorities issued an arrest warrant for him, accusing him of conspiracy and other crimes.

"Today is a sad day for democracy in Venezuela," European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement. "In a democracy, no political leader should be forced to seek asylum in another country."

Gonzalez "remains the best hope for democracy," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a post on X. "We must not let Maduro and his representatives cling to power by force," he said.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said on Instagram authorities had given Gonzalez safe passage in a bid to restore "political peace". Spain's Foreign Ministry said there had been no official talks with the Venezuelan government on Gonzalez's exit.

Venezuela's opposition say the July 28 election resulted in a resounding victory for Gonzalez, and published vote tallies online that they say show he won.

Maduro has dismissed all such assertions and says there was a right-wing plot to sabotage his government.

Gonzalez's move to Spain marked another jolting shift in the fortunes of the former diplomat who came out of retirement and took over the candidacy in March, initially as a placeholder after opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and then another replacement could not stand.

Embassies and talks

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told Spanish TV he had told Gonzalez "any person whose physical integrity or fundamental rights may be endangered would be welcomed in Spain and its embassy."

He added that his relocation to Spain had been planned for days and the Foreign Ministry said Gonzalez's asylum process would now start.

Spanish officials, including former Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, linked to diplomatic relations in the South American country in the past, were involved in a week of negotiations with Venezuelan authorities for Gonzalez to leave the country, a source with knowledge of the talks told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.