Venezuela authorities issue detain order for ex-candidate backed by USA
Here's a more casually written version of the article:
September 4, Caracas' Scene 🇻🇪 (Our Website) - Edmundo González, ex-opposition presidential candidate, saw his world turn upside-down with a warrant for his arrest. Prosecutor Luis Ernesto Dueñez sought and received the Court of First Instance's approval to grab González for allegations of usurping duties, falsifying public documents, and stirring up lawlessness.
Judge Edward Briceño gave the nod, assigning CICPC investigative police to execute the warrant. The warrant came after recent ignored summonses for questioning.
July's presidential elections saw President Nicolás Maduro crowned the victor with 52% of the votes compared to González's 43%. Maduro's third term runs from 2025 to 2031.
Post-election chaos and turmoil led the Venezuelan Supreme Court to validate the National Electoral Council (CNE) results following a "reality check" of evidence from various candidates, political parties, and the electoral body itself. The CNE hasn't released comprehensive vote tallies to date.
The opposition labeled the outcome fishy and established a parallel website claiming González won by a landslide. Investigations cast doubts on the authenticity of these documents, while González and his camp refused to participate in Supreme Court hearings and present their electoral records.
Political groups backed by the US have often reacted to electoral defeats with violent protests.
González's whereabouts remain unknown, stirring rumors that he might have skipped town.
His legal representative, José Vicente Haro, met Attorney General Tarek William Saab on Wednesday to discuss the arrest warrant. Haro handed over an affidavit from González explaining his refusal to comply with the questioning summonses, stating it was to avoid escalating tensions. The right-wing politician also denied any responsibilities for the opposition's parallel results website.
The day before, Haro shared that González remained in Venezuela, but was lying low, and ruled out seeking refuge in a foreign embassy. Haro promised to cooperate with judicial authorities, including potential raids on the former candidate's home.
While González has yet to comment on the arrest warrant, his primary backer, María Corina Machado, vowed it would only bolster the opposition's unity and "global support" for González.
Machado, a far-right figure, has been the face of the opposition recently. She was barred from running in the elections after a Supreme Court decision against her 15-year ban on holding public office. Venezuela's top court cited corruption allegations, actions endangering state assets, and endorsement of economic sanctions against the country as reasons for the ban.
González received backing from the European Union's top foreign policy representative Josep Borrell and OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro.
Washington reaffirmed its backing for González, criticizing the "unjustified" arrest warrant.
"Rather than acknowledging his defeat in the polls and preparing for a peaceful transition in Venezuela, Maduro has now ordered the arrest of the democratic leader who trounced him," wrote Assistant State Secretary Brian Nichols on Twitter.
Brazil and Colombia issued a joint statement, expressing concern over the judicial warrant and seeing it as an obstacle to a "peaceful, dialogue-based resolution" between Venezuelan political forces.
Since the election, Caracas has refused numerous foreign attempts to interfere in its internal affairs. The Maduro government suspended diplomatic relations with countries like Argentina and Chile who joined US efforts to challenge the election result.
Venezuelan allies, like Russia and China, advocated for respecting Venezuela's sovereignty. The regional ALBA alliance also supported the Maduro administration, condemning international meddling against the country at a recent summit.
Updated on September 4, following González's representative's meeting with the Attorney General.
Bonus Insights:
Edmundo González, a former Venezuelan diplomat and opposition politician, faces an arrest warrant in a broader crackdown on opposition figures. González, recognized by some international actors as the president-elect, is in exile and has a $100,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. At least 1,200 opposition activists were imprisoned after Venezuela's 2024 elections [3][5]. The González situation reflects the difficult landscape faced by opposition figures in Venezuela, where dissent is often met with repression. [1][2]
- The Venezuelan investigative police, CICPC, are executing a warrant for the arrest of the Venezuelan ex-opposition presidential candidate, Edmundo González, under allegations of usurping duties, falsifying public documents, and stirring up lawlessness.
- The mobilizations within the Venezuelan opposition have grown following the arrest warrant issued for González, with his primary backer, María Corina Machado, vowing it would only bolster the opposition's unity and "global support" for González.
- Moreover, the latest war-and-conflicts update suggests that the Venezuelan politics have heated up following the arrest warrant, with Washington reaffirming its backing for González, criticizing the "unjustified" arrest warrant.
- The president of the National Electoral Council (CNE), which was involved in the validation of the presidential election results, is yet to release comprehensive vote tallies, fuelling speculation and adding to the ongoing political and legal drama.
- The arrest warrant and the ongoing drama are unfolding under the broader policy-and-legislation landscape, with the Venezuelan government suspending diplomatic relations with countries who joined US efforts to challenge the election result, and international entities like the European Union and Organization of American States expressing concern over the developments.
