Former Venezuelan presidential candidate and opposition leader Edmundo González fled to Spain in exile Sunday as part of a deal with dubious current President Nicolas Maduro’s administration. 

González’s exit comes after July’s turbulent presidential election, which González is widely considered to have won despite Maduro’s claims of victory. 

On Saturday, Venezuelan officials had ordered González’s arrest as part of a criminal investigation into the election results, accusing him of various crimes including conspiracy and falsifying documents. 

He arrived with his family at a military airport in Madrid on Sunday — but he won’t be gone for long, opposition leader María Corinia Machado said.

Gonzalez is set to return to Venezuela on Jan. 10 for what Machado claimed would be his presidential swearing-in ceremony.

“His life was in danger, and the increasing threats, summons, arrest warrants and even attempts at blackmail and coercion to which he has been subjected, demonstrate that the regime has no scruples,” Machado said on X. 

“Let this be very clear to everyone: Edmundo will fight from outside alongside our diaspora.”

Machado was originally slated to run as the opposition’s presidential candidate but was banned on allegations of fraud and tax violations. The opposition party then shifted to González, a relative unknown who quickly skyrocketed to popularity.

Spain’s borders have been open to Venezuelans seeking asylum under Maduro’s oppressive rule for years. Antonio Ledezma and Leopoldo López, two former opposition leaders, fled there in 2017 and 2020, respectively. 

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares reaffirmed his country’s dedication to asylum-seekers going forward. 

“Of course, I told him we were pleased that he is well and on his way to Spain, and I reiterated the commitment of our government to the political rights of all Venezuelans,” Albares said of Gonzalez.

Machado and González both remained in hiding after the election was called as more than 2,000 opposition supporters, primarily Venezuelan young adults, took to the streets in protest against Maduro’s alleged theft and manipulation of the election. 

Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, wrote in a statement on Instagram that the government stepped in to grant González’s safe departure “for the sake of tranquility and political peace of the country.” 

Spain confirmed that González was the one who decided to leave. He originally planned on staying at a Dutch ambassador’s residence in Caracas, the Netherlands’ government said on Sunday, but later shifted to Spain’s diplomatic mission as his exit continued to be negotiated. 

The European Union foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, a former Spanish foreign minister, said González’s leave marks “a sad day for democracy in Venezuela.”

The tally sheets for the July votes, which are considered to be the final proof of the election results, have yet to be published by the Maduro-controlled panel at the National Electoral Council. 

Experts who observed the election from the United Nations and the Carter Center on invitation from Maduro’s government determined that the results shared by electoral authorities were not credible. The UN experts have yet to validate the opposition’s claims of victory as well. 

With Post Wires