González coerced into accepting Maduro"s election win in Venezuela

Edmundo González, a Venezuelan opposition candidate, claims he was coerced into recognizing Nicolás Maduro's victory in the disputed July elections while seeking asylum in Spain. In a video message, González described the pressure he faced from Maduro's aides, who allegedly forced him to sign a letter under threat of consequences. He characterized the signed document as 'worthless' and emphasized his commitment to representing the millions of Venezuelans who voted for change. Jorge Rodríguez, a key ally of Maduro, countered González's claims, asserting that the opposition candidate signed the letter voluntarily. Rodríguez presented the letter at a press conference and challenged González to retract his statements, threatening to release audio recordings that would contradict González's narrative. He also questioned the validity of González's claims by pointing out that one of his daughters lives peacefully in Venezuela. Prior to his departure to Spain, González faced an arrest warrant issued by a Venezuelan judge, accusing him of serious crimes, which he denied. The National Electoral Council announced that Maduro won 52% of the vote, while González received 43%. However, the opposition claims to have evidence suggesting González won by a significant margin, which they shared online. The international community, including the US and EU, has largely rejected Maduro's victory, demanding the release of detailed voting data to validate the election results. The CNE has stated that it cannot provide this data due to alleged corruption by hackers.