Opposition presidential candidate González leaves Venezuela for Spain

Opposition candidate Edmundo González has left Venezuela for Spain six weeks after a disputed presidential election marred by accusations of widespread voter fraud and repression.

González, recognized as the true winner of the July 28 election by the United States and a score of Latin American countries, had been staying in Spain's embassy in Caracas for days and asked the EU country for asylum, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said late Saturday.

She said the government had granted the 75-year-old former diplomat safe passage to Spain "in the interests of the country's political peace and tranquillity."

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares confirmed on X that González left Venezuela "at his own request" and that he used a Spanish Air Force plane.

"The government of Spain is committed to the political rights and physical integrity of all Venezuelans," he wrote.

The opposition initially made no public statements on the matter.

Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, secured a third term in the disputed election after the the country's electoral authority - which is stacked with government loyalists - declared him the winner with 51% of the vote.

The government has not provided any voter tallies to back up 61-year-old Maduro's win. The opposition claims victory for González, and has significant support from other countries in the region and the US.

Since the vote, the police have cracked down on anti-Maduro demonstrators. The non-governmental rights organization PROVEA said 25 people have lost their lives so far and more than 2,400 people have been detained.

In a major escalation, the Venezuelan Attorney General's Office recently issued an arrest warrant for González on charges including usurpation of office and incitement to sedition.