Venezuela’s Courts Order Arrest of Former Candidate Edmundo González

September 3, 2024 

Far-right opposition former presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez raises his hand at a poorly attended protest against official election results declaring President Nicolás Maduro the winner of the election in Caracas, Venezuela, July 30, 2024. Photo: Cristian Hernandez/AP/file photo.

Far-right opposition former presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez raises his hand at a poorly attended protest against official election results declaring President Nicolás Maduro the winner of the election in Caracas, Venezuela, July 30, 2024. Photo: Cristian Hernandez/AP/file photo.

Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—The Venezuelan courts took action in response to the blatant disregard of the law displayed by former far-right presidential candidate Edmundo González. This Monday, September 2, Venezuela’s Anti-Terrorist Court of First Instance issued an arrest warrant for González and commissioned the Scientific, Penal, and Criminal Investigation Service Corps (CICPC) to execute the ruling.

After the July 28 presidential elections, González decided to not-recognize the electoral results. González’s Unitary Platform created websites announcing alleged electoral results that contradicted the official results released by Venezuelan authorities.  González issued a statement in which he claimed victory, calling on police-military officers to participate in an insurrection, and signed it as “president elect.” He vowed to take office when the next president’s term begins on January 10, 2025.

According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office’s Document 100-24, the crimes with which González is charged are as follows: usurpation of functions, provided for and punished in Article 213 of the Penal Code; forgery of public documents, as detailed in Article 319 of the Penal Code; instigation to disobey laws, as detailed in Article 283 of the Penal Code; conspiracy, as detailed in Article 132of the Penal Code; sabotage, as detailed in Article 7 of the computer crimes law; criminal association, as detailed in Article 37 of the law against organized crime and financing of terrorism.

Last week, González was summoned three times by the Venezuelan Public Ministry. On three occasions, the former presidential candidate did not present himself nor a legal representative. Similarly, when the Supreme Court requested that all parties participating in the July 28 elections present themselves to the court with documents tracking the election results, González failed to present himself. This Monday, reports circulated on social media platforms regarding an attempt by the far-right politician to seek political asylum in the embassy of Spain in Caracas.

According to the ruling, once the aforementioned citizen has been arrested, he must be immediately placed at the disposal of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, who, in turn, must present him before this jurisdictional body within 48 hours of his arrest.

Many analysts have explained that a key tactic of the ongoing attempted coup d’état against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro will be to proclaim Gonzales president on January 10, 2025. Thereby, the US and its vassals will attempt to continue and revitalize the fake interim government project, begun in 2019 with the recognition of former deputy Juan Guaidó, that allows the US government, UK banks, and others to seize billions of dollars worth of Venezuelan assets abroad. Part of these funds are used to finance the fractured far-right Venezuelan opposition.

Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff