Venezuela introduces $100,000 reward for capture of opposition candidate Edmundo González

Venezuela’s ruling authorities left the world by surprise after they announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to the capture of exiled opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia. On Thursday, police in Venezuela published the news on social media, sharing a photograph of González with the word “Wanted” written under the image.

González gained international prominence after insisting that he beat Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro in the polls which took place last year. The Opposition in the country, whose voices have been cracked down by the authorities accused Maduro of rigging the elections, sharing proofs that González had won the presidential race.

It is pertinent to note that the Venezuelan starwalt fled to Spain in September, shortly after Maduro claimed victory in the polls and called for his arrest. The 75-year-old vowed to return to the troubled country soon to be sworn in as the President of Venezuela on January 10. Judicial officials of the Latin American nation told AFP that the wanted poster with González’s face would be displayed at airports and police checkpoints around the country.

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The current political landscape of Venezuela

Meanwhile, Spain granted asylum to the opposition leader on December 20 after Venezuela accused González of conspiracy and racketeering. Both Venezuela’s Supreme Court and the Election Commission declared Maduro as the winner of his third six-year term in July, but both the opposition and the international community cried foul over the election.

Several street protests erupted across Venezuela following the election which devolved into clashes with police, with 28 people dead, 200 injured and more than 2,400 arrested. Out of those detained, three of them had already died in the prison and nearly 1,400 of those originally arrested have been released.

The draconian leader of Venezuela, Maduro was handpicked by late socialist icon Hugo Chávez to succeed him upon his death in 2013. Throughout his reign, Maduro oversaw the oil-rich country’s decline into economic ruin and has been accused of acting like a dictator as he continues to crack down on voices of dissent.

It is pertinent to note that only a handful of countries around the world including Venezuelan ally Russia, have recognized Maduro as the winner of the July election. Last year, both the United States and the European Parliament recognized González as “president-elect”.

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With inputs from AFP.