Edmundo González reveals details of his exile: He was coerced by Maduro's regime at the residence of the Spanish ambassador.

The Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González, who allegedly defeated Nicolás Maduro in the presidential elections last July, stated on Wednesday that he was forced to sign a letter accepting a ruling from the country's supreme court that recognizes Maduro's victory.

"I either signed or faced the consequences," González declared in a statement directed "to the Venezuelans to inform them of the whole truth about what happened with my departure from Venezuela."

González reported that the incident occurred at the residence of the Spanish ambassador in Caracas, where Vice President Delcy Rodríguez and her brother, Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, presented her with a letter that she needed to sign.

"These were very tense hours of coercion, blackmail, and pressure," added González, who at that moment believed he would be more useful if freed than if imprisoned.

"The regime wants all Venezuelans to lose hope," but he "will never betray them," he stated.

The opposition leader emphasized that "a document produced under coercion is completely invalid, due to the serious lack of consent."

Jorge Rodríguez, for his part, displayed a two-page letter signed by González and warned that the 75-year-old former presidential candidate had 24 hours to retract his statements.

"If you don't deny it within 24 hours, I will release the audio recordings. It depends on you, Mr. González," said Rodríguez, referring to the meetings held with his sister.

Currently, González is in Spain, where he was granted political asylum earlier this month, after an arrest warrant was issued against him in Venezuela.

The National Electoral Council proclaimed Maduro as the winner of the presidential elections on July 28, which sparked accusations of fraud and massive protests, with the opposition publishing online voting results that confirmed González's electoral victory.

This week, a UN report indicated that the Maduro government had intensified its repressive tactics to crush peaceful protests and maintain power after the disputed elections.

The statement from the electoral authority was supported by the Supreme Court of the country, although no official figures have been published to back Maduro's victory.