Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay “unequivocally and absolutely reject the arrest warrant” issued on Monday against Edmundo González Urrutia, said a joint statement released by the Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry.
Later, the head of US diplomacy for Latin America, Brian Nichols, indicated on the social network X that Washington joins “the growing list of international allies that condemn” the “unjustified arrest warrant” of the Venezuelan opposition leader.
Instead of acknowledging his electoral defeat and preparing for a peaceful transition in Venezuela, Maduro has now ordered the arrest of the democratic leader who defeated him overwhelmingly at the polls. Edmundo González has promoted national reconciliation, and we join in…
— U.S. Embassy, Venezuela (@usembassyve) September 3, 2024
For their part, the governments of Colombia and Brazil issued a joint statement rejecting the arrest warrant against the opposition candidate, stating that this “seriously affects the commitments assumed by the Venezuelan government under the Barbados Accords,” a treaty in which the Venezuelan opposition and the country’s government committed to strengthening democracy and promoting a culture of tolerance and coexistence.
Joint statement by Colombia and Brazil on arrest warrant for presidential candidate in Venezuela pic.twitter.com/Dv9tRFYG1p
— Colombian Foreign Ministry (@CancilleriaCol) September 3, 2024
Meanwhile, Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo announced on Tuesday that the presidents of Colombia, Mexico and Brazil will meet with Nicolás Maduro on Wednesday to find solutions to the Venezuelan political crisis.
Also from the American continent, Alberto van Klaveren, the Chilean foreign minister, defined the arrest warrant for González Urrutia as “a new attack by the Venezuelan regime on the rule of law.”
We condemn the arrest warrant against opposition leader Edmundo González. This is a new attack on the rule of law by the Venezuelan regime. We call for respect for democratic principles, human rights and the fundamental freedoms of all Venezuelans.
— Alberto van Klaveren (@AlbertoKlaveren) September 3, 2024
Venezuelan prosecutors have requested the arrest of González Urrutia for alleged crimes related to the election, including “disobedience of laws” and “conspiracy.”
The Venezuelan opposition claims that González Urrutia was the winner of the presidential election and published on a website a copy of more than 80% of the voting records, according to which he obtained a resounding majority.
That page is the focus of the investigation that led to the arrest warrant for González Urrutia, 75 years old and in hiding since July 30.
“Instead of acknowledging his electoral defeat and preparing for a peaceful transition in Venezuela, Maduro has now ordered the arrest of the democratic leader who defeated him overwhelmingly at the polls,” Nichols said.
Meanwhile, the nine Latin American nations said that the arrest warrant “cites several alleged crimes that are nothing more than another attempt to silence Mr. González, ignore the will of the Venezuelan people, and constitute political persecution.”
“In a country where there is no separation of powers or minimum judicial guarantees and where arbitrary arrests abound, we condemn these dictatorial practices,” they added.
They also pledged to join forces to “demand that the Venezuelan authorities guarantee the life, integrity and freedom” of González Urrutia.
EU plans measures and EU asks to respect González’s integrity
The United States also said it is considering taking action against the Maduro government.
“In coordination with our partners, we are considering a variety of options to demonstrate to Mr. Maduro and his representatives that their actions in Venezuela will have consequences,” said White House National Security Adviser John Kirby in a conversation with the media on Tuesday.
The senior official in the Joe Biden administration recalled that these actions are being considered to condemn the arrest warrant against Edmundo González in Venezuela for allegedly inciting violence, something that “of course is not accurate,” he said.
“This is just another example of Mr. Maduro’s efforts to maintain power by force and refuse to acknowledge that Mr. Gonzalez won the majority of the vote on July 28,” Kirby said, without detailing what form those possible consequences will take.
For his part, the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Affairs, Josep Borrell, “categorically” rejected the arrest warrant and called for González Urrutia’s freedom and integrity to be respected.
“I categorically reject the arrest warrant against Edmundo González Urrutia and urge the Venezuelan authorities to respect his freedom, integrity and human rights,” Borrell said in a message on the social network X.
“Enough of the repression and harassment of the opposition and civil society. The will of the Venezuelan people must be respected,” he added.
The measure comes after the Public Prosecutor’s Office asked the courts to issue an arrest warrant against him after he failed to respond to three summonses, in which they expected him to make statements in the context of an investigation against him related to the fraud complaint he made regarding the presidential elections.
With EFE and AFP
Autor: France 24
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2024-09-04 16:38:50