A pair of prominent Senate Democrats said Friday they plan to introduce legislation targeting the "oppressive regime" of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro and his efforts to "steal" the July 28 election.

The U.S. government and others around the world have accused Maduro of stealing the July 28 presidential election.

Venezuela's former presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez sought diplomatic refuge after being warned that President Nicolas Maduro's security forces were "coming for you", he told Reuters in Madrid on Friday.

Edmundo González said the government made him sign a document recognizing President Nicolás Maduro as the election winner before he could flee to Spain.

Edmundo González claims he was coerced into recognising President Nicolás Maduro's victory in disputed elections.

Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González said he was put under pressure to sign a document recognising the electoral victory of President Nicolás Maduro, in a post on X. González is currently in Spain and said his signature was a condition imposed by Maduro's government for letting him travel to Spain,

The regime of Nicolás Maduro has arrested a fourth U.S. citizen as he continues to cling to power in Venezuela, despite evidence that he lost by a landslide. Opposition leader María Corina Machado joins José Díaz-Balart to talk about what her country needs right now.

Venezuela’s opposition candidate was forced to admit Nicolas Maduro as the election winner in July. Edmundo Gonzalez released a video message on Wednesday claiming that the Maduro regime pressured him into signing a letter stating he lost the election.