Venezuela: Ahead of presidential term, govt ramps up arrest threats against opposition leader Gonzalez

Venezuela’s government intensified its threats against opposition leader Edmundo González on Sunday (January 5), with the ruling-party-controlled National Assembly vowing to order his arrest if he returns to the country.

National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez did not name González directly but said the retired diplomat, who claims he defeated President Nicolás Maduro in last year’s election, would face immediate detention if he sets foot on Venezuelan soil.

The declaration follows the government’s recent offer of a $100,000 reward for information on González’s whereabouts.

“That unworthy being … has been saying that he is going to return to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,” Rodriguez said after being re-elected as the National Assembly’s president. “Each and every deputy who defends peace will request, if he touches a bit of land of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, his immediate arrest.”

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González, who has been in exile in Spain since September, has vowed to return to Venezuela to be sworn in for the presidential term, which by law begins on January 10. However, he has not detailed how he plans to return or challenge Maduro, who retains control over all branches of government and the military.

Maduro, meanwhile, has received an invitation from the National Assembly to be sworn in for a third term on Friday. The invitation comes more than five months after the National Electoral Council, dominated by ruling-party loyalists, declared him the winner of the July 28 election.

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Unlike previous presidential contests, electoral authorities did not release detailed vote counts. However, the opposition claimed tally sheets from over 80 per cent of electronic voting machines showed González winning by a significant margin. These claims prompted international criticism, with the U.S. and most European governments rejecting the official results and recognising González as the legitimate winner.

Maduro responded by asking Venezuela’s high court, also controlled by ruling-party allies, to audit the results. The court reaffirmed his victory.

González began a tour of the Americas over the weekend, visiting Argentina and Uruguay before announcing plans to travel to the United States to seek a meeting with President Joe Biden. He also intends to visit Panama and the Dominican Republic in the coming days.