Venezuela Orders Arrest of Presidential Candidate Edmundo González Amid Post-Election Crackdown

Venezuela has issued an arrest warrant for Presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, marking a significant escalation in the country’s political turmoil. The warrant, dated September 2, 2024, accuses González of serious offences including usurpation of functions, forgery, conspiracy, and sabotage.

This aggressive move by the Maduro administration casts a shadow over the recent elections and is likely to spark international controversy. The legitimacy of both the election results and the arrest order will be scrutinized, potentially leading to diplomatic tensions, especially with nations like the U.S., which have shown support for González.

Nicolas Maduro just issued an arrest warrant for Edmundo Gonzalez, the President-Elect of Venezuela.

A predictable outcome after a month of international inaction: offering carrots to Maduro only means more repression. pic.twitter.com/KNNE8O8J03

— Kareem Rifai 🌐 (@KareemRifai) September 2, 2024

🫓 Maduro’s prosecutors request that a criminal court issue an arrest warrant against Edmundo González Urrutia for several crimes, including: sabotaging computer systems, instigation to disobey the law, and conspiring against the State. pic.twitter.com/6GXKC8B3Jl

— Caracas Chronicles (@CaracasChron) September 2, 2024

BREAKING

The Maduro regime — via the Venezuelan Public Prosecutors’s Office — has issued an arrest warrant for opposition leader Edmundo González. pic.twitter.com/39Li3XvJED

— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) September 2, 2024

The official document, translated from Spanish, states:

“I am writing to you, to send attached to this communication, a document dated today with its respective actions consisting of NINETY-FOUR (94) PAGES, requesting an ARREST ORDER against citizen:

EDMUNDO GONZÁLEZ URRUTIA, holder of identity card No. V-2,029,003, for the alleged commission of the crimes of:

• USURPATION OF FUNCTIONS, under article 213,
• FORGERY OF PUBLIC DOCUMENT, under article 319,
• INSTIGATION TO DISOBEDIENCE OF LAWS, under article 283,
• CONSPIRACY, under article 132 of the Penal Code,
• SABOTAGE TO SYSTEMS DAMAGE, under article 7 of the Computer Crimes Law,
• ASSOCIATION, under article 37 of the Organic Law Against Organized Crime and Terrorism Financing, committed to the detriment of the Venezuelan State.”