Venezuela conducts investigation into opposition over alleged insurrection shots
(MENAFN) Venezuela has initiated a criminal investigation into prominent opposition leaders Edmundo Gonzalez and Maria Corina Machado following their recent calls for military defection and protests against President Nicolás Maduro’s re-election. This development comes amid escalating tensions and unrest in the country following the recent presidential election results.
On July 28, Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) declared Nicolás Maduro the winner of the presidential election. The final ballot count confirmed Maduro’s victory with 52 percent of the vote, compared to 43 percent for his main opponent, Edmundo Gonzalez. Despite this, Gonzalez and Machado contested the results and declared Gonzalez as the rightful president in a letter posted on X (formerly Twitter). They urged the armed forces to abandon Maduro and side with the opposition, calling for protests against the election outcome.
Venezuela's top prosecutor, Tarek William Saab, announced on Monday that Gonzalez and Machado are under investigation for their actions. Saab accused them of falsely declaring a different election winner and inciting military and police officials to defy the law. The charges against them include “usurpation of functions,” “dissemination of false information to cause unrest,” “incitement to disobey the law,” “incitement to insurrection,” “association to commit crimes,” and “conspiracy.”
The situation has led to significant unrest across Venezuela, with widespread protests erupting in response to the election results. Maduro has condemned these protests as an “attempted coup against Venezuela,” intensifying the political and social crisis in the country.
This investigation underscores the deepening political divide in Venezuela and the heightened tensions surrounding Maduro’s presidency, as the government takes firm action against perceived challenges to its authority.
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