Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González granted asylum by Spain, arrives in Portugal

A Spanish Air Force plane carrying Edmundo González Urrutia, the leader of Venezuela's Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), landed at Portugal's Lajes Airport on Terceira Island in the Azores at 10:29 a.m. local time (8:29 GMT). The arrival was confirmed by EFE through two flight tracking websites, FlightAware and AirNav.

Earlier, the Dassault Falcon F900 military aircraft had departed from Las Américas International Airport in Punta Caucedo, Dominican Republic, nearly six hours before. The plane had arrived there from Venezuela earlier in the day.

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares announced on Sunday that Spain would grant asylum to González Urrutia. Albares made the statement during a press briefing in Muscat, Oman, while en route to China with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Albares confirmed that González Urrutia was already on his way to Spain at the request of the opposition leader, who also applied for asylum. Albares stated, "Of course, the Spanish government will process and grant the request."

Albares added that he had spoken with González Urrutia once he was aboard the Spanish Air Force plane, and González Urrutia expressed his gratitude.

On Saturday, Pedro Sánchez referred to González Urrutia as "a hero whom Spain will not abandon" during a speech at a meeting of senior officials from Spain's Socialist Party.