The Venezuelan election crisis has escalated dramatically as opposition leaders Edmundo González Urrutia and María Corina Machado issued a joint statement calling on military and police forces to ‘stand with the people’. In response, Venezuela’s Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, announced the opening of a criminal investigation against the opposition leaders for allegedly inciting insurrection and other crimes.González and Machado claim to have won the July 28 presidential election, asserting that González secured 67% of the votes compared to Nicolás Maduro’s 30%. However, the National Electoral Council (CNE) has declared Maduro the winner with 52% of the votes. The opposition leaders argue that they have ‘irrefutable proof’ of their victory and have published voting records on their website.The post-election period has been marked by widespread protests and violence. Human rights organizations report at least 11 civilian deaths in demonstrations. President Maduro claims that over 2,000 people have been detained and has vowed to continue suppressing what he calls an ‘imperialist coup attempt’.The international community has expressed deep concerns about the election’s legitimacy. The European Union stated that it cannot recognize the official results ‘due to a lack of evidence to support them’. The United States has called for talks towards a peaceful transition, while France and Brazil have voiced support for ‘the people’s aspiration for a transparent election’.As tensions continue to rise, the opposition’s appeal to the military and police forces represents a significant escalation in the crisis. González and Machado’s statement read, ‘We urge you to prevent the regime’s frenzy against the people and to respect, and make respected, the election results’. This move has been interpreted by the government as a direct challenge to its authority, leading to the criminal investigation.
Key points
- Venezuelan opposition leaders González and Machado face criminal investigation for calling on military support.
- Opposition claims victory with 67% of votes, while official results declare Maduro winner with 52%.
- At least 11 civilian deaths reported in post-election protests, with over 2,000 people detained.
- International community, including EU and US, express concerns over election legitimacy.
Contradictions👾The opposition claims González won with 67% of the vote, while the National Electoral Council declares Maduro the winner with 52%.
👾The government reports over 2,000 arrests, while independent sources have not confirmed this number.
