Venezuelan presidential candidate Edmundo González has fled to Spain following Venezuela’s contentious presidential election.

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Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

International

Opposition presidential candidate flees Venezuela amid arrest threats, protests

Sep 09, 2024

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)

Venezuelan presidential candidate Edmundo González has fled to Spain in the latest development following Venezuela’s contentious presidential election. Many Western countries, including the United States, view González as the legitimate winner.

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However, authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro claimed victory and, amid widespread protests, ordered the arrest of his opponents. Just days after an arrest warrant was issued for González, he arrived at a military airport near Madrid on Sunday, Sept. 8.

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This followed a negotiated deal with Maduro’s government, which allowed him to escape Venezuela and avoid charges of conspiracy. Since the election over a month ago, González had been in hiding as authorities detained thousands, including hundreds of minors, who protested Maduro’s claimed victory.

Upon arriving in Spain, González sent a voice message to his supporters, stating, “My departure from Caracas was surrounded by acts of pressure, coercion, and threats. I trust that we will soon continue our fight to achieve our freedom and the restoration of Venezuela’s democracy.”

Another key opposition leader and ally of González, María Corina Machado, posted on X, “On January 10, 2025, President-elect Edmundo González will be sworn in as constitutional president of Venezuela and commander in chief of the National Armed Forces. Let this be very clear to everyone: Edmundo will fight from the outside.”

However, González’s departure has caused concern among some of his supporters. One told The Associated Press, “What little hope we had left went with him.”

González is not the only opposition figure to flee Venezuela. Four other former presidential candidates, who faced imprisonment or arrest, have also sought safety abroad.

Maduro’s government has yet to provide proof of its victory. However, voter tally sheets collected by González show him winning by a margin of more than 2 to 1. This has led countries like the U.S. to consider González the true winner of Venezuela’s election, contributing to an ongoing debate over election integrity.

Tags: Edmundo Gonzalez, Election, Nicolas Maduro, Spain, Venezuela

Karah Rucker

VENEZUELAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE EDMUNDO GONZALEZ HAS FLED TO SPAIN IN THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT SINCE VENEZUELA’S HIGHLY CONTESTED AND CONTROVERSIAL PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

MANY WESTERN COUNTRIES – INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES – SEE GONZALEZ AS THE TRUE WINNER.

BUT IT’S AUTHORITARIAN PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO CLAIMED VICTORY – AND IN THE WAKE OF UPHEAVAL AND PROTESTS OVER THE RESULTS –

ORDERED FOR HIS OPPOSITION TO BE ARRESTED.

JUST DAYS AFTER AN ARREST WARRANT WAS ISSUED FOR GONZALEZ –

HE LANDED AT A MILITARY AIRPORT NEAR MADRID ON SUNDAY FOLLOWING A NEGOTIATED DEAL WITH MADURO’S GOVERNMENT – ALLOWING HIM TO FLEE HIS HOME COUNTRY TO AVOID CHARGES OF CONSPIRACY.

SINCE THE ELECTION MORE THAN A MONTH AGO – GONZALEZ HAS BEEN IN HIDING – AS AUTHORITIES HAVE ROUNDED UP THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE INCLUDING HUNDREDS OF MINORS – ARRESTING THOSE PROTESTING MADURO’S CLAIMED VICTORY.

AFTER ARRIVING IN SPAIN – GONZALEZ SENT A VOICE MESSAGE TO HIS SUPPORTERS – SAYING “MY DEPARTURE FROM CARACAS WAS SURROUNDED BY ACTS OF PRESSURE, COERCION, AND THREATS. I TRUST THAT WE WILL SOON CONTINUE OUR FIGHT TO ACHIEVE OUR FREEDOM AND THE RESTORATION OF VENEZUELA’S DEMOCRACY.”

ANOTHER MAJOR OPPOSITION LEADER AND ALLY TO GONZALEZ “MARIA CORINA MACHADO” POSTED ON X –

“ON JANUARY 10, 2025, PRESIDENT-ELECT EDMUNDO GONZALEZ WILL BE SWORN IN AS CONSTITUTIONAL PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE NATIONAL ARMED FORCES.

LET THIS BE VERY CLEAR TO EVERYONE: EDMUNDO WILL FIGHT FROM THE OUTSIDE.”

HOWEVER – THE DECISION TO DEPART FROM VENEZUELA HAS STOKED FEAR IN SOME OF HIS SUPPORTERS –

ONE TELLING THE ASSOCIATED PRESS “WHAT LITTLE HOPE WE HAD LEFT – WENT WITH HIM.”

GONZALEZ ISN’T ALONE IN FLEEING VENEZUELA AFTER RUNNING AGAINST THE SINGLE PARTY REGIME THAT HAS RULED THE COUNTRY FOR MORE THAN 2 DECADES.

FOUR OTHER FORMER PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS WHO WERE SENT TO PRISON OR FACED ARREST HAVE ALSO FLED FOR THEIR SAFETY.

MADURO’S GOVERNMENT HAS YET TO PROVIDE ANY PROOF OF ITS VICTORY.

BUT VOTER TALLY SHEETS COLLECTED BY **GONZALEZ SHOWS HIM WINNING BY A MORE THAN 2 TO 1 MARGIN –

LEADING COUNTRIES LIKE THE U.S. TO DEEM GONZALEZ THE TRUE WINNER OF VENEZUELA’S ELECTION IN WHAT HAS BECOME A SAGA – OVER ELECTION INTEGRITY.

THANKS FOR WATCHING OUR NEWS UPDATE.

WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW ANY DEVELOPMENTS OUT OF VENEZUELA.

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Opposition presidential candidate flees Venezuela amid arrest threats, protests

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