By Venezuela’s Attorney General Tarek William Saab announced on Monday a criminal investigation against opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. The probe is linked to their appeal to the armed forces to abandon support for President Nicolás Maduro and cease repressing demonstrators.
Saab’s statement, posted on social media, accused the duo of “falsely announcing a winner of the presidential election other than the one proclaimed by the National Electoral Council” and openly inciting “police and military officials to disobey the laws.” The prosecutor cited potential charges including usurpation of functions, dissemination of false information to cause fear, and conspiracy.
Earlier on Monday, González and Machado had issued a written appeal calling on rank and file members of the security forces to reconsider their loyalty to Maduro. They stated, “We appeal to the conscience of the military and police to put themselves on the side of the people and their families,” claiming victory in the July 28 election.
Authorities have declared Maduro the victor but have not yet produced voting tallies. The opposition claims to have collected records from over 80% of the 30,000 polling booths nationwide showing their win.
President Maduro announced on Saturday that the government has arrested 2,000 opponents, pledging to detain more. The post-electoral uprising has claimed at least 11 lives, according to the human rights group Foro Penal.
The Venezuela-based human rights organization Provea reported that the government’s response to public discontent has involved “disproportionate use of force” and coordination between security forces and pro-Maduro armed civilian groups.
Both González and Machado have gone into hiding, citing fears of arrest or assassination. Maduro and his supporters have threatened to imprison them both.
Internationally, pressure is mounting for the Venezuelan government to publish a full breakdown of the electoral results. Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Chile’s President Gabriel Boric discussed the situation in Venezuela on Monday, calling for respect for popular sovereignty and transparency of election results.
Meanwhile, some of Maduro’s allies, including Russia, China, and Cuba, have congratulated him on his victory. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held a telephone call with Maduro on Monday, reiterating congratulations and condemning “any foreign interference in Venezuela’s internal affairs.”
As the political crisis unfolds, Venezuela faces increasing scrutiny from both domestic opposition and international observers regarding the legitimacy of the recent election and the government’s response to protests.
AP
