Venezuelan prosecutor seeks arrest warrant for opposition’s former presidential candidate González

CARACAS, Venezuela (news agencies) — Venezuelan authorities on Monday sought an arrest warrant for the opposition’s former presidential candidate Edmundo González, just over a month after election officials declared President Nicolás Maduro the winner of the disputed election that his opponents say he lost.

The prosecutor seeking the warrant in its request to a judge focused on terrorism-related crimes cites various charges against González, a former diplomat, including conspiracy, falsifying documents and usurpation of powers.

Ruling party-loyal electoral authorities declared Maduro the victor of the July 28 presidential elections hours after polls closed. They did not show any detailed results to back up their claim as they had offered in previous presidential elections. The lack of transparency has drawn international condemnation.

The opposition, however, managed to obtain more than 80% of vote tally sheets, which are printed by every electronic voting machine, and said they show Maduro lost by a wide margin against González.