Former Venezuelan presidential candidate Edmundo González arrived in Spain on Sunday after fleeing into exile in as part of a negotiated deal with Nicolás Maduro’s government that dealt a major blow to millions who placed their hopes in his opposition campaign.

Nicolás Maduro has gotten what he wants. For now. Following the playbook of autocratic leaders before him, Venezuela’s president launched a campaign of repression against his own people in an attempt to squelch a resistance movement not seen since the rise of his idol Hugo Chávez over two decades ago.

The opposition candidate’s decision to seek asylum in Spain and the autocratic leader’s antagonism toward regional powers lessen the chances of a political transition.