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.

The U.S. government and others around the world have accused Maduro of stealing the 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,