Unequivocally and absolutely, Argentina, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay rejected the arrest warrant issued by the First Special Court of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice of Venezuela against Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, the opposition presidential candidate in the electoral process dated July 28, 2024.
"In a country (Venezuela) where there is no separation of powers or minimum judicial guarantees, and where arbitrary arrests abound, we condemn these dictatorial practices; our efforts will be firm and ongoing to demand that Venezuelan authorities ensure the life, integrity, and freedom of Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia," reads the
joint communiqué released on Monday night.
The arrest warrant cites several alleged crimes that are nothing more than another attempt to silence Gonzalez Urrutia, disregard the will of the Venezuelan people, and constitute political persecution.
A Venezuelan court specializing in terrorism-related crimes issued an arrest warrant against opposition leader Gonzalez Urrutia on Monday, less than an hour after the Prosecutor's Office had requested it.
The Venezuelan Prosecutor's Office had asked a court specializing in terrorism crimes to issue an arrest warrant against the standard-bearer of the largest opposition coalition, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, for his "alleged commission of crimes of usurpation of functions" and "forgery of public documents" related to the electoral records dated July 28.
(END) JOT/MVB
Published: 9/3/2024