A Venezuelan judge issued an arrest warrant for opposition leader Edmundo González in connection to the controversial July election, which both the ruling party and opposition claim to have won. The warrant was issued due to González’s failure to appear for questioning regarding allegations of conspiracy, falsifying documents, and usurpation of powers. Authorities have focused on tally sheets to determine election results, with the opposition claiming González won by a wide margin based on their analysis of the sheets.
International pressure has mounted for a breakdown of election results, leading Maduro to ask for an audit of the process by the country’s high court, which ultimately certified his victory. González has criticized the lack of due process guarantees and accused the Attorney General of being a “political accuser.” The opposition leader María Corina Machado condemned the arrest warrant as a threat to democracy, stating that Venezuelans and democracies worldwide are united in their quest for freedom.
An analysis by the Associated Press of the tally sheets released by the opposition showed that González received significantly more votes than the government claimed. The processed tally sheets indicated González received more votes on 20,476 receipts compared to only 3,157 for Maduro. This analysis casts doubt on the official declaration of Maduro’s victory and highlights the ongoing political tensions in Venezuela following the disputed election.
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