The Brazilian government expressed “deep concern” over the decision of the Venezuelan Attorney General’s Office to request the arrest of Edmundo Gonzálezone of the leaders of the opposition to the government of Nicolás Maduro. The joint note with the government of Colombia was released on Tuesday night (3).
According to the note, the request for González’s arrest affects the commitments made in the Barbados Agreements, when the government and opposition, mediated by Norway, made commitments involving a democratic electoral process in the South American country.
“The governments of Brazil and Colombia express deep concern about the seizure order issued by the Venezuelan courts against presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia yesterday, September 2. This judicial measure seriously affects the commitments made by the Venezuelan government under the Barbados Agreements, in which the government and the opposition reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening democracy and promoting a culture of tolerance and coexistence. It also hinders the search for a peaceful solution based on dialogue between the main Venezuelan political forces,” said the governments of Brazil and Colombia.
The arrest warrant for Edmundo González was issued after he failed to appear for the third time at the Public Prosecutor’s Office to explain the publication of alleged electoral records that would prove his victory in the elections held on July 28. The opposition claims to have published more than 80% of the records on the internet that would prove González’s victory. The government, however, accuses the opposition of falsifying more than 9,000 records published online.
The National Electoral Council (CNE), the body responsible for announcing the election results, said that Maduro won the election, but did not release the electoral records from the more than 30,000 polling stations. The documents were handed over to the courts at the beginning of August.
