The Venezuelan government, led by President Nicolas Maduro, is attempting to discredit opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez by ordering him to provide sworn testimony in an investigation into allegations that he attempted to spread panic by contesting the results of the presidential election. This move is seen as an attempt to intimidate and silence the opposition, rather than a genuine effort to investigate alleged wrongdoing.
Gonzalez and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado went into hiding after the election, and security forces have rounded up over 2,000 demonstrators and political activists for challenging the official results. According to tally sheets published online by Gonzalez’s campaign, he received more than 70% of the vote, while Maduro has claimed he won the election by over a million votes. The ruling party has called for Gonzalez and Machado’s arrest, but authorities have held off so far.
The US State Department has condemned the ruling by Venezuela’s Supreme Court certifying Maduro’s win, saying that the ruling lacks credibility given the overwhelming evidence that Gonzalez received the most votes on election day. The US administration has also criticized continued attempts to fraudulently claim victory for Maduro, saying it will only exacerbate the ongoing crisis. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed concern about human rights violations and called on Venezuela to act in a transparent manner.
President Nicolas Maduro1 (Image via Getty)
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who is leading an attempt with Brazil and Colombia to resolve the dispute, has said that he will withhold recognizing Maduro as the winner until a breakdown of results is published. The opposition’s ground game on election day enabled them to collect copies of voting tallies from 80% of the 30,000 polling booths nationwide, providing evidence of the results. The tally sheets, which carry a QR code making it easy to verify the results, are almost impossible to replicate.
The government’s decision to order Gonzalez to provide sworn testimony is seen as an attempt to discredit him and the opposition, rather than a genuine effort to investigate alleged wrongdoing. As the crisis deepens, international pressure is mounting on Maduro’s government to allow for a transparent and credible investigation into the election results and to respect the human rights of its citizens. The opposition and international community are calling for an end to the violence and intimidation, and for the government to recognize the will of the people and hold free and fair elections.
