• Arrest warrant issued for Venezuela opposition candidate
• González faces accusations of “serious crimes,” including the “usurpation” of public duties
• Other charges include: document falsification, inciting disobedience, and system sabotage

Arrest warrant issued for Venezuela opposition candidate 

A Venezuelan judge has issued an arrest warrant for Edmundo González, the opposition candidate in the country’s recent presidential election, following a request from the public prosecutor’s office, which is aligned with President Nicolás Maduro.

President Maduro was declared the winner of the July election by Venezuela’s electoral council, which is dominated by government loyalists. However, the government has not released any evidence to support this outcome. In contrast, the opposition claims their data shows that González won by a significant margin of over 30%.

The arrest warrant was swiftly approved by Judge Edward Briceño, who handles terrorism-related cases. González faces accusations of “serious crimes,” including the “usurpation” of public duties, document falsification, inciting disobedience, and system sabotage. He has denied all charges and has been in hiding since shortly after the election.

This move has heightened political tensions in Venezuela. The European Union and several Latin American countries, including Brazil under President Lula, have refused to recognise Maduro’s re-election without detailed voting tallies, calling for full transparency from the Venezuelan government.