Exiled Venezuelan Leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia Travels to Argentina Amid Tensions
Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, the Venezuelan leader who claims to have won the July 28 elections against Nicolás Maduro, is set to arrive in Argentina on Friday, according to a source from the Presidency. This move comes at a time when Venezuelan authorities have offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
Gonzalez Urrutia, who has been in exile in Madrid since September, has promised to return to Venezuela to “take office” on January 10, replacing Maduro. He announced his trip to Argentina on social media, stating that his tour of Latin America is beginning, with Argentina as his first stop.
Wanted by Venezuelan Authorities
Venezuelan authorities have posted a wanted notice with a $100,000 reward for information leading to Gonzalez Urrutia’s capture. The notice, which includes his photo, will be displayed at airports and police checkpoints throughout the country.
Gonzalez Urrutia was granted political asylum in Spain on December 20, after being accused by the Venezuelan Prosecutor’s Office of crimes such as “conspiracy” and “criminal association.”
Disputed Election Results
The electoral authorities in Venezuela proclaimed Maduro re-elected for a third consecutive six-year term, but the opposition, including Gonzalez Urrutia, claims that the election was fraudulent and that he is the rightful winner. Argentina, the United States, the European Union, and several Latin American countries have not recognized Maduro’s re-election.
Protests and Tensions
Maduro’s proclamation sparked protests that left 28 dead and over 200 injured, with 2,400 detained. Three of those arrested died in prison, and nearly 1,400 have been released on parole.
The opposition, led by Maria Corina Machado, has called for protests ahead of Maduro’s inauguration, but details of the call have not been specified.
International Criminal Court
The Argentine Foreign Ministry has denounced Venezuela before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the “arbitrary detention and forced disappearance” of an Argentine gendarme accused of “terrorism” by the Venezuelan prosecutor’s office.
The arrest of gendarme Nahuel Gallo on December 8 constitutes “a serious and flagrant violation of human rights,” according to the Argentine Foreign Ministry.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil has described the complaint as a “painful spectacle” and a “scandalous lack of seriousness.”