The Venezuelan government has said opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González has left the country for Spain, where he is to be granted political asylum.

Mr González has been in hiding ever since an arrest warrant was issued after he disputed July’s presidential election result – in which the government-controlled National Electoral Council (CNE) declared Nicolás Maduro the winner.

Venezuela’s Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez said in a post on social media that after “voluntarily” seeking refuge at the Spanish embassy in Caracas some days ago, Mr Gonzalez asked the Spanish government for political asylum.

She added that Caracas had agreed to his safe passage and that he had left.

Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1rbfUog

For more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news

#BBCNews