On Monday, Venezuela’s attorney general initiated a criminal investigation into opponents of President Nicolás Maduro for urging the military to withdraw support from him and to cease repression of demonstrators.
According to a report by the Associated Press, Attorney General Tarek William Saab announced the investigation following a written appeal from presidential candidate Edmundo González and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. This appeal, submitted just hours before Saab’s announcement, addressed Maduro and the demonstrators who protested in defense of the votes cast during the July 28 election.
In a message on X, Saab accused the pair of falsely declaring “a winner of the presidential election other than the one proclaimed by the National Electoral Council, which is the only entity authorized to do so.”
Furthermore, Saab alleged that González and Machado openly encouraged “police and military officials to disregard the law.”
ARGENTINA’S MILEI SUPPORTS VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION DESPITE MADURO’S ‘UGLY’ ATTACKS
Nicolas Maduro stated that Maria Corina Machado and Edmundo Gonzalez should face prison sentences of at least 30 years for instigating post-election violence and attempting to undermine his government. (Gaby Oraa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Saab noted that the appeal by González and Machado indicated they had committed various offenses, including usurpation of functions, spreading false information to instill fear, and conspiracy.
The two individuals appealed to leaders within the security forces to reassess their loyalty to Maduro.
“We appeal to the conscience of the military and police to stand with the people and their families,” González and Machado stated. “We unequivocally won this election. It was a landslide victory.”
BLINKEN STATES VENEZUELA’S NICOLAS MADURO LOST ELECTION PRIOR TO CLAIMING VICTORY WITHOUT ‘EVIDENTIAL SUPPORT’
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez join hands during a protest against the presidential election results on July 30, 2024, in Caracas, Venezuela. (Alfredo Lasry R/Getty Images)
“It is now our shared responsibility to honor the voice of the people,” they remarked.
The National Electoral Council, under Maduro’s control, declared him the winner with a purported margin of 51% against the opposition’s 44%. However, they have yet to provide voting figures to validate Maduro’s victory.
Pre-election polls (which are illegal in Venezuela) suggested that opposition candidate González garnered twice the votes received by Maduro. Additionally, the opposition claims to have obtained records from over 80% of the 30,000 polling booths nationwide showing they surpassed Maduro.
Ultimately, the U.S. acknowledged González as the victor after asserting it had reviewed the tally sheets.
CHAVEZ STATUES TOPPLED ACROSS VENEZUELA AMIDST ELECTION PROTESTS
Supporters of opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado display their images during a campaign rally. (Raul Arboldea/AFP via Getty Images)
On Saturday, Maduro revealed that his government had arrested 2,000 opposition members, and at a rally in Caracas, he vowed to imprison more. The unrest following the election results has reportedly resulted in at least 11 fatalities, according to the Caracas-based human rights organization, Foro Penal, as reported by the AP.
González and Machado urged Venezuelans with family members in the security forces to encourage their relatives to refuse illegal orders and not to harm demonstrators. They offered “guarantees” to soldiers adhering to the constitution, while asserting that there would be no immunity for those responsible for abuses and following unlawful commands.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
González, a former diplomat, and Machado, who has been barred from running for office, are currently in hiding due to fears of arrest or assassination. Maduro has threatened to imprison both of them.
Fox News Digital’s Peter Aitken and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
