United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced concern Friday to President Nicolas Maduro about alleged human rights violations in Venezuela, in their first telephone conversation since the disputed July 28 presidential 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,

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.