LIMA (Reuters) - Venezuelan opposition leader Manuel Rosales has fled to Peru and requested political asylum to escape corruption charges that he says are retaliation for his criticism of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Rosales filed the asylum request on Tuesday after arriving in Lima several days ago with 20 allies who oppose Chavez's socialist policies, a source close to the situation told Reuters.

For the full Reuters article, see this link: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE53K63Y20090421