Spanish PM meets Venezuelan opposition leader Gonzalez in Madrid

MADRID - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez met Venezuela's self-exiled opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez in Madrid on Thursday, a day after the lower house of Spain's parliament voted to recognise Gonzalez as the winner of a presidential election in July.

Gonzalez, 75, who is wanted by Venezuelan authorities on charges of conspiracy and other crimes, sought asylum in Spain on Sunday while Sanchez was visiting China.

"I give Edmundo Gonzalez a warm welcome to our country, his reception underscores Spain's humanitarian commitment and solidarity with Venezuelans," Sanchez posted on X social media platform.

The post showed a video of the two men and Gonzalez's daughter walking in the gardens of the Moncloa Palace, the prime minister's official residence.

In a separate statement, Gonzalez thanked Sanchez, his government and the Spanish people for the welcome.

"We spoke about the serious situation in Venezuela and the need to work together for a transition toward democracy," he said of his talks with Sanchez.

The Venezuelan opposition has published vote tallies from July's election and said Gonzalez won a resounding victory. But the national election board declared incumbent President Nicolas Maduro the victor. Maduro has shrugged off international criticism as a right-wing plot.

On Wednesday, Spain's lower house approved a motion urging the government to recognise Gonzalez as president-elect, a symbolic move that Sanchez said his minority Socialist-led government would ignore.

Instead Spain continues to push, along with the European Union, for the release of detailed vote tallies in the presence of an EU mediator while not yet recognising either Maduro or Gonzalez as winner.

Gonzalez thanked the Spanish lawmakers for recognising his victory in the July election.

He also reiterated his "unwavering" commitment to fulfilling his mandate, adding: "The fight is to the end, when all our families can finally be reunited on Venezuelan soil."

The Venezuelan parliament has asked the Maduro government to cut its already shaky diplomatic ties with Madrid in response to the Spanish parliament's motion.