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The president of Venezuela’s Supreme Court said Edmundo Gonzalez, who insists he defeated President Nicolas Maduro in the July 28 election, was in contempt of court by refusing to accept a subpoena on Wednesday.
In response to Maduro’s call, the court summoned 10 election candidates and representatives of the political parties that nominated them to attend a so-called certification meeting for the results.
“Please … record in the record that Gonzalez did not appear in court and did not comply with the subpoena,” said court president Carislia Rodriguez.
Venezuela’s electoral authorities – accused by the opposition of favoring Maduro – announced early on July 29 that Maduro had won the election with about 51% of the vote. But electoral authorities have yet to release the results of the vote.
The opposition, led by Maria Corina Machado and former diplomat Gonzalez, 74, said they had copies of the results showing they won the election with more than 7 million votes to Maduro’s 3.3 million, roughly in line with what independent exit polls had predicted.
Many Venezuelan opposition leaders have faced arrest, imprisonment or exile in recent years, and Rodriguez’s comments came shortly after Gonzalez published a letter saying he would risk arrest if he accepted the summons.
“If I go to the electoral chamber (Supreme Court) under these circumstances, I will be extremely vulnerable due to my powerlessness and violations of due process, which will not only jeopardize my freedom but, more importantly, the will of the Venezuelan people, as they expressed on July 28,” González said in the letter posted on the X website early Wednesday.
Lawyers say contempt of court in Venezuela is punishable by up to 30 days in prison and a fine.
Representatives from three groups supporting Gonzalez’s candidacy attended the hearing, according to state television.
Live Raid
The disputed election has sparked a wave of anti-Maduro protests across Venezuela, and advocacy groups have expressed concern about security forces rounding up suspected protesters in so-called “door-knocking operations.” Authorities say police are targeting people accused of violent crimes during demonstrations.
Late on Tuesday, Maria Oropesa, coordinator of Machado’s Venezuelan political movement Vente Colombia, live-streamed on Instagram the police raid on her home in Guanare, Portuguesa state.
The video shows security trying to break down the metal grille at her door and asking her to accompany them. Oropesa can be heard asking to see the search warrant before the video cuts to black.
Oropesa’s whereabouts are currently unknown. The Portugal state chapter of the opposition movement “Comando con Colombia” shared a video of the arrest, which was live-streamed.
Attorney General Tarek Saab has opened a criminal investigation into Machado and González for inciting security forces to violate the law after they issued a joint letter calling on the police and military to stand with the Venezuelan people.
While countries such as Russia and China congratulated socialist Maduro on his victory, many Western nations expressed skepticism and demanded that election authorities release the full results of the vote.
Chile’s leftist President Gabriel Boric on Wednesday dismissed Maduro’s victory, saying he had “no doubt” that the Venezuelan government had committed fraud in order to remain in power.
This prompted an angry retort from Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Gil, who added that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had spoken to Maduro and that the Istanbul government had congratulated the Venezuelan people on their election.
The Turkish presidency said in a post on the X website that Turkey “will continue to support the dialogue process in Venezuela.”
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