International community concerned about arrest warrant against González Urrutia — MercoPress

International community concerned about arrest warrant against González Urrutia

Expecting Venezuelan authorities to deliver justice is ‘legal absurdity,’ OAS says

Several voices from the international community expressed their concern on Tuesday after the Venezuelan justice system issued an arrest warrant for opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia, who many consider to be the real winner of the July 28 presidential election, in which incumbent President Nicolás Maduro claims to have won but without presenting any evidence.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said he was following “with concern” the situation in the South American country, which was one of the main topics on the agenda, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

“The Secretary-General has been following with concern developments in Venezuela since the presidential elections of 28 July, including the decision by the Venezuelan authorities to issue an arrest warrant for opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez,” he noted in a statement.

Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) declared Maduro the winner with 52% of the vote, but did not produce the minutes from each polling station, unlike the opposition, which produced at least 83%, which would make it impossible for Maduro to win even if he won 100% of the vote elsewhere. The protests demanding recognition of these results have been described as “terrorist acts” by Caracas. Some 27 people have died, including two members of the Bolivarian forces, hundreds have been injured and more than 2,400 have been arrested.

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (EU), Josep Borrell, on Tuesday rejected the arrest warrant against Edmundo González Urrutia and called on the Maduro regime to respect his freedom, integrity and human rights. “I categorically reject the arrest warrant against Edmundo González Urrutia and I urge the Venezuelan authorities to respect his freedom, integrity and human rights,” Borrell wrote on X. “Enough of the repression and harassment of the opposition and civil society. The will of the Venezuelan people must be respected,” he added.

Argentina, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay also condemned the measure. “We unequivocally and absolutely reject the arrest warrant issued by the judge of the First Special Tribunal of the Supreme Court of Justice of Venezuela against Mr. Edmundo González, opposition presidential candidate in the last electoral process of July 28, 2024,” the countries said in a joint statement. “The said arrest warrant cites several alleged crimes that are nothing more than a new attempt to silence Mr. González, to disregard the will of the Venezuelan people and constitutes political persecution,” they added.

“In a country where there is no separation of powers or minimum judicial guarantees and where arbitrary detentions abound, we condemn these dictatorial practices and our efforts will be firm and continuous to demand that the Venezuelan authorities guarantee the life, integrity and freedom of Edmundo González Urrutia,” they said.

US Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols said the action against the 75-year-old former diplomat was “unjustified.”

“Instead of acknowledging his electoral defeat and preparing for a peaceful transition in Venezuela, Maduro has now ordered the arrest of the democratic leader who overwhelmingly defeated him in the election,” Nichols insisted on social media. “We join the growing list of international partners who condemn this unjustified arrest warrant,” he continued.

The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) expressed the same opinion in a statement released Tuesday: “The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) condemns the arrest warrant issued by the authorities of the Venezuelan regime against Edmundo González. The political persecution, this time in the form of an arrest warrant against the opposition candidate who, according to the only documentary information available more than a month after the elections, appears to have won the last elections, constitutes one more crime in the permanent and continuous legal logic of systematic violation of human rights in the country.”

The document also highlights that “once again, the Venezuelan judiciary commits acts that designate it as a fundamental instrument in the execution of crimes against humanity in the country. It is not a judicial power that administers justice, but one of repression and violation of fundamental freedoms, and which establishes itself as the main agent of impunity for human rights violations.”

The continental agency also admitted that “expecting Venezuelan prosecutors, magistrates and judges to ultimately deliver justice” was “a legal absurdity.”