The political crisis in Venezuela has escalated as opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia publicly demands President Nicolás Maduro to cease violence and persecution following the disputed July 28 elections. González, who claims to have won the election, stated, ‘I call on behalf of all Venezuelans for you to stop the violence and persecutions and immediately release all arbitrarily detained compatriots’.The situation has become increasingly tense, with the Supreme Court of Justice declaring González in contempt for failing to attend a summons to present election-related documentation. Additionally, the Public Ministry has opened an investigation into González and opposition leader María Corina Machado for alleged incitement to insurrection.According to the National Electoral Council (CNE), Maduro won the election with 51.95% of the votes, while González received 43.18%. However, the opposition claims to have evidence showing González won with 67% of the votes, based on digitalized copies of over 80% of the voting records.International pressure is mounting, with the European Union’s foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, calling for an end to harassment and threats against opposition forces, journalists, and media. The EU has also urged the Venezuelan authorities to release all political prisoners and respect the sovereignty of the Venezuelan people.As the crisis deepens, former presidential candidate Enrique Márquez has called on Maduro to heed demands for transparency from Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil. Márquez questioned, ‘If the CNE has the results, why not publish them? Is that not what everyone is asking for?’.The situation remains volatile, with reports of over 2,400 detentions in the past 13 days and 24 civilian deaths during protests. As both sides remain entrenched in their positions, the future of Venezuelan democracy hangs in the balance, with no clear path to resolution in sight.
Key points
- Opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia demands end to violence and persecution from President Maduro.
- Supreme Court declares González in contempt; Public Ministry investigates opposition leaders for alleged incitement.
- Disputed election results show Maduro winning officially, while opposition claims victory for González.
- International community, including EU, calls for release of political prisoners and respect for Venezuelan sovereignty.
Contradictions👾The National Electoral Council reports Maduro won with 51.
95% of votes, while the opposition claims González won with 67% based on their collected data.
👾Maduro claims victory and legitimacy, while the opposition and parts of the international community dispute the election results.
