Venezuela issues arrest warrant for opposition leader – DW – 09/04/2024

It is unclear where Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia was when he learned of his arrest warrant — the Venezuelan opposition leader has gone underground — after a Caracas court normally tasked with trying terrorists granted a prosecutor’s request to issue the warrant. Venezuelan prosecutors have accused the politician of “serious crimes” including usurpation, forgery of documents and ties to “terrorist” financiers.

Rightful President – ​​or Not?

What actually happened? Gonzalez Urrutia was the Venezuelan opposition’s top candidate, running against long-time President Nicolas Maduro in the July 28 election. The government and opposition have been battling over the results since the election. On election night, the National Electoral Council (CNE) quickly declared Maduro the winner, claiming he had won 51% of the vote. The opposition was furious, alleging manipulation and fraud. The CNE has not even been able to provide evidence from constituency surveys to support its claim. A massive cyberattack would have made it impossible to provide such information, although the Council has also failed to provide evidence to that effect.

However, the opposition gave the CNE information it had access to that showed Gonzalez Urrutia had a 30-point lead over Maduro. Despite not being able to verify those figures, Gonzalez Urrutia declared himself president. Several countries, including the US and Argentina, immediately recognized him as such.

Repression of critics, no independent judicial system

Since then, repression and violence against opposition politicians and protesters has increased dramatically. At least 27 people are said to have been killed in protests since the election, several of them by so-called “Collectivos”, armed motorcycle gangs with ties to the government. Another 200 people have been injured and some 2,400 arrested.

At the same time, the Venezuelan judiciary has repeatedly summoned opposition leader Gonzalez Urrutia to appear in court. The charges against him are directly linked to the publication of election documents by the opposition. When Gonzalez Urrutia failed to appear and instead went into hiding, the government issued an arrest warrant. Before that, the opposition leader had publicly expressed concerns about his ability to receive a fair trial.

That’s because Venezuela’s judiciary is anything but independent. Instead, it’s controlled by Madura’s party and actively tries to stymie the opposition before the elections.

A straw man for the opposition?

Gonzalez Urrutia, 75, is effectively the opposition’s third choice for president — in reality, it is Maria Corina Machado, a 56-year-old politician and longtime critic of Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chavez, who is calling the shots. Machado describes the government as a “horrific criminal military dictatorship” and is fighting to replace it.

However, Machado was not allowed to run in the presidential elections, nor was her successor Corina Yoris. In 2023, Machado was banned from holding any public office for 15 years. Before that, she had a 90% approval rating among voters. With the two best opposition candidates sidelined, Gonzalez Urrutia became the replacement candidate.

Underestimated replacement candidate

Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia is a gentle man who often comes across as reserved. Before he was nominated, few Venezuelans knew who he was. That may be why the Electoral Council allowed his candidacy to continue.

Gonzalez Urrutia was a Venezuelan politician and diplomat for many years, but that was a long time ago. Although Gonzalez Urrutia held a number of diplomatic positions until 2002 — even under former President Hugo Chavez — he was long retired by the time he got the call from the opposition.

Initially, he expressed doubts about his candidacy, he told the German weekly Mirror he had been told that he would be a ‘substitute’ until a new candidate could be found.

Ultimately, Gonzalez Urrutia was left. He often appeared alongside Maria Corina Machado at campaign rallies, her popularity helping to quickly boost his approval ratings. Many polls, which could not be independently confirmed, showed him clearly ahead of the incumbent Maduro.

Machado slammed Gonzalez Urrutia’s arrest warrant for X after it was issued, writing: “Maduro has lost touch with reality. The arrest warrant issued by the regime to threaten President-elect Edmundo Gonzalez crosses a new line that only strengthens the resolve of our movement. Venezuelans and democracies around the world are more united than ever in our quest for freedom.”

Maduro, who has been in power in Venezuela for 11 years, recently addressed the issue on his TV show “With Maduro” on Monday. He said, “No one in this country is above the law.” Meanwhile, Gonzalez Urrutia, the “accidental candidate,” remains underground.

Controversial elections in Venezuela spark more protests

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This article was translated from German by Jon Shelton