Venezuela has announced a $100,000 reward for information that could lead to the capture of Edmundo González, the exiled presidential candidate from the opposition. After fleeing the country in September, González was granted political asylum in Spain following accusations from Venezuelan authorities of conspiracy and document forgery against him.
González has publicly stated his intention to return to Venezuela before President Nicolás Maduro’s inauguration next Friday, claiming the electoral process was manipulated. In response to the reward offer, González revealed plans to travel to Argentina, where he will engage with prominent Maduro critic President Javier Milei.
In a significant development, the United Nations’ Human Rights Committee has instructed Venezuela to preserve the voting tallies from the contentious July 2024 presidential election. These tallies are crucial for establishing the legitimacy of the electoral outcome, amid ongoing disputes regarding the election’s results.
The government-affiliated National Electoral Council (CNE) proclaimed Maduro the victor, yet has not provided the necessary voting tallies to substantiate this claim. In contrast, opposition figures, supported by recognized election monitors, assert that their compilation of over 80% of the voting tallies demonstrates that González was the clear winner.
Initially unknown in political circles when he registered as a candidate in March, González, a former diplomat, witnessed a dramatic rise in popularity, eventually surpassing Maduro in opinion polls. The increasing polarization between government and opposition supporters has marked Venezuela’s political landscape over the past decade.
González’s unifying message during the campaign sharply contrasted with Maduro’s aggressive rhetoric, which included threats of violence should González prevail. The 2018 election that saw Maduro’s re-election has been widely criticized for lacking fairness and transparency.
