Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez arrives to interview with Reuters in Madrid, Spain, September 20, 2024. REUTERS/Juan Medina
MADRID (Reuters) - Venezuela's former presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez said on Friday he sought diplomatic refuge after being told President Nicolas Maduro's security forces were coming for him.
Gonzalez, whom the opposition insist was the real winner of a July election awarded to Maduro, told Reuters during an interview in Madrid he could have been jailed and possibly tortured had he stayed in Venezuela.
The 75-year-old former diplomat left for Spain after securing guarantees that his family and property in Venezuela would be safe, he said, adding that he wanted to be free to seek support from world leaders for his case to be president.
"A security official working with me took me aside to say he had received information that the security organs were coming for me and that it was best to take refuge," he said.
"I could have gone into hiding, but I had to be free to be able to do what I am doing, transmitting to the world what is happening in Venezuela, making contacts with world leaders."
A Venezuelan court had issued an arrest warrant for Gonzalez, accusing him of conspiracy and other crimes, after Maduro said the opposition was trying to topple him in a coup.
The Venezuelan government did not immediately respond to a request for reaction to Gonzalez's comments on Friday.
The former presidential candidate said he had already met senior Spanish political figures since his arrival on Sept. 8 and, having received invitations to visit Germany, the Netherlands and the European Commission, would conduct a tour of Europe.
He said he was confident a peaceful handover of power was still possible in Venezuela with him the person to lead it.
"I want to ensure that the will of the 8 million Venezuelans who voted for me on July 28th is respected," he said, a reference to opposition claims of a landslide victory based on vote tallies it has published. "That is a decision that has already been taken and I aspire to honour it fully."
Gonzalez said he first sought refuge in the Dutch embassy and after 32 days made a decision to leave Venezuela, moving to the residence of the Spanish ambassador to make a request for asylum from Madrid.
He said he knew once the arrest warrant was issued, he faced a prison term, potentially in "one of the prisons they've converted into torture centres in Venezuela".
'COERCED' TO SIGN LETTER
This week it emerged that while at the residence of Spain's ambassador Ramon Santos, Gonzalez signed a letter saying he accepted Maduro's election victory.
Venezuela's government published photographs of the signing in the presence of the head of National Assembly head Jorge Rodriguez, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez and the Spanish envoy.
Gonzalez told Reuters the letter was agreed over a "very tense" 48 hours and extended meetings between himself and the Venezuelan officials, and that he was "coerced" to sign.
The opposition leader said pictures and audio recordings were taken without his permission, ruling out that they were done by the ambassador.
"We ended up with a text that I signed. I said that I abided by the decision, although I did not agree with it."
Gonzalez said in return, he obtained written guarantees that his daughter and her family including two children, who remain in Venezuela, would be safe, along with his car and apartment.
He said he did not at that stage seek guarantees for the release of political prisoners, but it is one of the causes he brings to all international forums. Venezuelan human rights group Foro Penal estimates that since July 29, 1,692 people have been arrested, many in protests, though 80 teenagers were released on Sept. 1.
Gonzalez said that remaining opposition flagbearer María Corina Machado did not know of his plan to leave until the day before he went to the Spanish embassy. He was confident she will not have to take a similar decision but warned: "It is a situation that can arise with any political leader who may be at risk".
(This story has been corrected to fix the headline and an inaccurate quote in paragraph 1)
(Reporting by Corina Rodriguez, additional reporting by Mayela Armas in Caracas, writing by Aislinn Laing, editing by Andy Cawthorne)
