Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González has claimed he was “forced” to acknowledge President Nicolás Maduro as the winner of the disputed July election before being allowed to seek asylum in Spain.
In a video message released from Madrid, González, 75, alleged that Maduro’s aides coerced him into signing a letter while he was hiding in the Spanish embassy in Caracas earlier this month. He described the situation as one of “intense coercion, blackmail, and pressure,” and stated that he felt it was better to be free than imprisoned.
González referred to the signed letter as “worthless” and affirmed his role as the “president-elected” of Venezuelans who voted for change, democracy, and peace. He vowed to “fulfil that mandate.”
In response, Jorge Rodríguez, head of Venezuela’s National Assembly and a Maduro ally, presented the letter, claiming González signed it voluntarily. At a press conference in Caracas, Rodríguez gave González “24 hours” to retract his statements, threatening to release audio recordings that he claimed would refute González’s assertions.
Rodríguez questioned why González’s daughter remains in Venezuela, suggesting that if González had signed under duress, his family would not be living peacefully in the country. Rodríguez also displayed photos of a meeting between himself, Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez, and González at the Spanish embassy.
Before leaving for Spain, a Venezuelan judge had issued an arrest warrant for González on charges of conspiracy and document forgery, which González denies.
The Venezuelan National Electoral Council (CNE) announced that Maduro won 52% of the vote in the July 28 election, with González receiving 43%. The opposition, however, disputes this result, claiming evidence that González won by a significant margin. The US, EU, and most foreign governments have not recognized Maduro’s victory without detailed voting data, which the CNE claims is unavailable due to hacking.
