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.

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

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

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

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.

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. The national electoral council proclaimed Maduro the victor of the July 28 presidential election,

Venezuela's National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner of the July 28 election, citing 51 percent of the vote for Maduro and 44 for González. But the official results were never released. Instead,