CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez, who stood against President Nicolas Maduro in July’s election, on Wednesday said he was forced to sign a letter accepting a ruling from the country’s top court which recognized Maduro’s victory.

“Either I signed or I faced the consequences,” he said in a statement.

Gonzalez is currently in Spain, where he was granted political asylum earlier this month following the issue of a warrant for his arrest in Venezuela.

Venezuela’s Supreme Court ruled Maduro won the election which took place on July 28, even as members of the opposition published vote tallies online which they said showed Gonzalez had won.

Jorge Rodriguez, a key figure in the ruling socialist party and president of the National Assembly, said Gonzalez had “24 hours to deny that” or he would release audios contrary to the opposition leader’s claims.

(Reporting by Vivian Sequera; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Brendan O’Boyle)