Venezuela: Arrest Warrant Issued for Opposition Candidate
On Monday, a Venezuelan judge issued an arrest order for former presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, who claims victory in the July disputed election against Nicolás Maduro. The arrest warrant was issued after three missed court appearances....
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Facts
- On Monday, a Venezuelan judge issued an arrest order for former presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, who claims victory in the July disputed election against Nicolás Maduro. The arrest warrant was issued after three missed court appearances.[1]
- Judge Edward Briceño issued the public prosecutor's office requested warrant against González, who stands accused of falsifying documents, inciting 'disobedience,' and the 'usurpation' of public duties, among others. González denies the allegations.[2]
- The dispute arose when opposition tally sheets were published on a website after the vote, apparently showing González to be the winner. The opposition, as well as many in the international community, assert that the data indicates a victory, yet independent confirmation remains elusive.[3][1]
- Prosecutors accuse the opposition of fabricating thousands of actas, or shopping receipt-like printouts, from Venezuela's 30K electronic voting machines used in the election on July 28. These printouts have long been considered electoral evidence.[4]
- The EU and several Latin American nations won't acknowledge the election until precise vote results are available, while the US has acknowledged González as the rightful winner. The National Electoral Council claims that data corruption prevents the publication of the records.[5][1]
- Protests after the election have seen at least 27 killed and approximately 2.4K detained, while a criminal investigation has also been opened into opposition leader María Corina Machado[6]
Sources: [1]Al Jazeera, [2]BBC News, [3]CNN, [4]NBC, [5]France 24 and [6]Reuters.
Narratives
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by EL PAÍS English. This latest development is further evidence of the Maduro regime's crackdown on the opposition, which has seen it unfairly arrest thousands. In an attempt to maintain his grip on power, Maduro stole the election and is now using the public prosecutor's office to cover his tracks.
- Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Venezuelanalysis. González and his co-conspirator, Machado, refused to concede defeat and likely fabricated public election documents, and committed acts of sabotage. This warrant isn't the result of some Maduro conspiracy but simply Gonzalez's failure to appear in court. Everyone has to follow the law, even leaders of the opposition.
