He Public Ministry (Deputy, Prosecutor’s Office) of Venezuela has summoned for the second time the presidential candidate of the main opposition coalition, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutiaafter failing to attend court on Monday as part of an investigation against him.
“Please appear (…) andI on August 27 at 10:00 a.m. to give an interview on the events investigated by this office, related to the publication and maintenance” of a web pagein which the anti-Chavistas claim to have accused “83.5% of electoral files” to support his allegations of fraud in the presidential elections on July 28, the prosecution said.
Venezuela’s largest opposition bloc, the United Democratic Platform (PUD), published this report, which the Executive describes as “false”, after the National Electoral Council (CNE) proclaimed Nicolas Maduro, which has been questioned by many countries, some of which support this idea. González Urrutia won by a landslide.
It is for this reason that the Prosecutor’s Office summoned the PUD flagbearer for “the alleged commission of the crimes of usurpation of functions, falsification of public documents, incitement to disobedience to the laws, computer crimes, association with a view to committing a crime and conspiracy.” those who bear sentences of up to 16 years in prison.
On Sunday, through a video published on his social networks, González Urrutia denounced that the prosecution “intends to subject him to an interview without specifying under what conditions he must appear and without pre-qualifying the crimes not committed”, without however specifying whether he would participate
Venezuelans, I make a declaration before you, who are the guarantors of popular sovereignty: pic.twitter.com/BlKjrjYZsO
– Edmundo González (@EdmundoGU) August 26, 2024
According to him, the attorney general, Tarek William Saab, “He has repeatedly behaved like a political accuser”since -he affirmed- “pre-sentence and now he is pushing for a subpoena without guarantees of independence and due process.”
In his message, the former ambassador urged Maduro to “understand, for once, that the solution is not in repression,” but in the international, independent and reliable verification of the minutes, which cannot be replaced by a sentence pronounced outside the Constitution”, referring to the decision of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) according to which validated the re-election of the Chavista president.
While the The government and the prosecution emphasize that the minutes published by the opposition are falseSeveral organizations support its veracity, including the Carter Center, which participated as an observer in the elections, invited by the CNE.
