A Venezuelan judge has issued an arrest warrant for Edmundo González, the opposition candidate in the recent presidential election.
The warrant follows a request from the public prosecutor’s office, which is loyal to President Nicolás Maduro.
Maduro was declared the winner of the July election by the government-aligned electoral council, but the government has not provided evidence to substantiate this claim.
The opposition, led by González, contends that their data indicates a decisive victory for González, with a margin of over 30%.
Judge Edward Briceño, who handles terrorism-related cases, promptly granted the arrest warrant after receiving the petition from the prosecutor’s office.
President Maduro stated, “No-one in this country is above the laws, above the institutions,” during his weekly television program, as reported by AFP.
The issuance of the arrest warrant represents a sharp escalation in Venezuela’s political tensions.
González, who has been in hiding since the election, faces accusations of “serious crimes” including usurpation of public duties, document falsification, instigation of disobedience, and system sabotage.
The European Union has refused to recognize Maduro’s victory without detailed voting data, and several Latin American countries, including former ally President Lula of Brazil, have called for full transparency.
The US has acknowledged González as the victor, citing “overwhelming” evidence of Maduro’s defeat, but the government-controlled National Electoral Council has officially declared Maduro the winner, sparking widespread protests.
Since the election, the Venezuelan government has detained over 2,400 people, creating what the UN has described as a “climate of fear.”
The likelihood of González’s detention on charges of inciting public disorder and conspiracy has increased.
Additionally, the US Department of Justice recently seized a plane used by Maduro, citing violations of US sanctions, leading Maduro’s government to accuse Washington of “piracy” and “illegally imposing its will” globally.
Source-BBC
