The Venezuelan government said on Saturday that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia has left the country, seeking asylum in Spain.

"After taking refuge voluntarily at the Spanish embassy in Caracas a few days ago, (Gonzalez Urrutia) asked the Spanish government for political asylum," Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said on social media, adding that Caracas had agreed to his safe passage and that he had departed.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on X that, "Edmundo Gonzalez, at his own request, flies to Spain on a Spanish Air Force plane."

Neither Edmundo nor anyone from his party has yet commented.

(With input from AFP)