A criminal investigation has been initiated in Venezuela against opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. The probe follows their announcement of an election winner other than President Nicolas Maduro and allegations of instigating disobedience and insurrection.
Attorney General Tarek William Saab announced the investigation on Monday, citing a written appeal the two opposition members had sent earlier to the army and police regarding Maduro and the demonstrators defending their votes from the July 28 election. Saab, in a written statement posted on X, accused the duo of “falsely announcing a winner of the presidential election other than the one proclaimed by the National Electoral Council, the only body qualified to do so” and of inciting “police and military officials to disobey the laws.”
Under public pressure to release detailed, precinct-level records to support its claim that Maduro won, the National Electoral Council stated on Monday that it had submitted all records to the Supreme Court for certification, as requested by the president. However, these records have not been made public.
The opposition maintains that Gonzalez Urrutia was the rightful victor of last month’s election, which has plunged the oil-rich nation into a political crisis. Multiple countries, including the United States and Argentina, have recognized Gonzalez Urrutia as the winner, while others, such as the European Union, have called for the full publication of voting records without officially recognizing a winner.
Last week’s contested election sparked protests that resulted in the deaths of at least 11 civilians, according to rights groups. “We appeal to the conscience of soldiers and police officers to take the side of the people and their own families,” the opposition said in a statement, offering “guarantees to those who fulfill their constitutional duty” in a possible “new government.” The statement, signed by Gonzalez Urrutia as “president-elect,” also urged security forces to halt the “repression” of opposition protests. The government has reported the deaths of two soldiers in the clashes.
The opposition statement asserted that top commanders were “aligned with Maduro and his vile interests, while you are represented by the people who went out to vote … whose will was expressed on July 28, and you know it.”
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday called for dialogue between the Venezuelan government and opposition to resolve the election dispute. “A commitment to peace is what leads us to call the parties to dialogue and to promote understanding between the government and the opposition,” Lula said during a state visit to Chile, where he met with President Gabriel Boric. Lula, a Maduro ally engaged in a sensitive diplomatic balancing act, has urged his Venezuelan counterpart to publish voting records to resolve the dispute.