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.

Venezuela's former presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez said on Friday he sought diplomatic refuge after being told President Nicolas Maduro's security forces were coming for him. Gonzalez, whom the opposition insist was the real winner of a July election awarded to Maduro,

Edmundo Gonzalez, a Venezuelan opposition leader, claimed he was compelled to sign a letter acknowledging President Nicolas Maduro’s victory in the July election under threat. Currently in Spain under political asylum,