Maduro rival flees Venezuela for exile in Spain
Former Venezuelan presidential candidate Edmundo González fled as part of a negotiated deal with Nicolás Maduro’s government


What happened
Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González, who credibly claims to have won his country's July 28 presidential election, arrived in Spain on Sunday, seeking asylum. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said González, a 75-year-old former diplomat who replaced her on the ballot after she was barred from running, fled Venezuela because "his life was in danger" and he faced "increasing threats, summons, arrest warrants" from President Nicolás Maduro's unscrupulous regime.
Who said what
In an audio message Sunday, González said his departure was "surrounded by acts of pressure, coercion and threats," but "I trust that we will soon continue our fight to achieve our freedom and the restoration of Venezuela’s democracy." Machado said "Edmundo will fight from outside alongside our diaspora" and return for the Jan. 10 presidential inauguration.
Despite Machado's "positive spin," González's surprise exit dealt a "major blow to millions who placed their hopes in his opposition campaign," The Associated Press said. He joins the "swelling ranks of opposition stalwarts who once fought Maduro only to throw in the towel" amid a "brutal crackdown," including at least four other former presidential hopefuls who also fled to Spain to escape Maduro's persecution. The government's strategy is to force its loudest critics to flee, then "paint them as not being willing to fight, not being brave, not being strong," Francisco Rodríguez, an international affairs professor at the University of Denver, said to The New York Times.
What next?
Since Maduro's loyalist electoral panel declared him winner without providing any evidence, his government has arrested at least 2,000 people, including scores of opposition activists and hundreds of protesters. With Maduro having "solidified his hold on power" and efforts by Brazil, Mexico and Colombia to "broker a resolution" going "nowhere," the Times said, the opposition "has seemingly few options" left for a political settlement.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
July 5 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include an extrajudicial detainment camp, 'alligator Alcatraz', and tax cuts for billionaires.
-
5 explosively funny cartoons about the 4th of July
Cartoons Artists take on liberty and justice for all, a terrifying firework, and more
-
Jeff in Venice: a "triumph of tackiness"?
In the Spotlight Locals protest as Bezos uses the city as a 'private amusement park' for his wedding celebrations
-
Court allows National Guard in LA as Dodgers repel feds
Speed Read The team said they 'denied entry' to ICE agents seeking to enter their stadium
-
ICE arrests NYC comptroller at courthouse
Speed Read Brad Lander was held for about four hours before being released
-
Trump ramps up Iran threats, demands 'surrender'
Speed Read Trump met with his top aides in the Situation Room on Tuesday
-
ABA sues Trump over 'law firm intimidation policy'
Speed Read Trump has 'used the vast powers of the executive branch to coerce lawyers,' the lawsuit said
-
Judge orders Trump's NIH grant cuts reversed
Speed Read Trump had attempted to slash more than $1 billion in research grants
-
Trump leaves G7 early, warns Tehran to evacuate
Speed Read Trump claimed to have left the summit due to ongoing issues in the Middle East
-
Trump tells ICE to hit blue cities, spare farms, hotels
Speed Read Trump has targeted New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles among other cities
-
Police capture suspect in Minnesota lawmaker killing
Speed Read The suspect is accused of killing the top Democrat in the Minnesota House and her husband