MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

González Urrutia says Interpol red alert on him stems from his work in exile

González Urrutia spoke about “the indisputable triumph of the Venezuelan people's desire for change”

Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia, regarded by many as the true winner of the July 28 elections, insisted Thursday that the red alert issued against him by Caracas' Bolivarian regime through the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), was the consequence of “our work abroad” to gather international strength to ban Nicolás Maduro from remaining in power after January.

González Urrutia went into exile in Spain in September following an arrest warrant requested by the Public Prosecutor's Office.

“It is evident that this new and systematic attack is due to our work abroad,” the 72-year-old retired diplomat posted on X while spreading the message about “the indisputable triumph of the Venezuelan people's desire for change, the violations of rights and the next actions, to all decision-makers in the world.”

“Not only is the will of the Venezuelan people recognized by all but it will also be respected. We are working to make it so,” added the standard bearer of the Unitarian Democratic Platform (PUD) through which he ran given María Corina Machado's disenfranchisement.

Venezuela's Public Prosecutor's Office issued on Oct. 24 an official note requiring Interpol to arrest González Urrutia for the alleged crimes of “usurpation of functions, forgery of public documents, instigation to disobey laws, conspiracy, disregard of State institutions, complicity in the use of violent acts against peace, dissemination of false information ignoring electoral results, sabotage or damage to the system, [illegal] association, and money laundering.”

After the July 28 polls, the National Electoral Council (CNE) announced Maduro's victory without any backing evidence while the PUD released 83% of the voting minutes attesting to González Urrutia's win even if Maduro got 100% of the votes at the other stations.

Meanwhile, in Caracas, relatives of those arrested in the violent clashes ensuing the elections asked Maduro for a “measure of grace” for those housed in inhuman conditions or who suffered from serious health problems so that the people can spend Christmas without their loved ones behind bars.

Some human rights organizations operating in Venezuela claim these detentions, particularly the ones carried out on July 29 and 30, were surrounded by irregularities such as the absence of a proper court order. It has also been reported that some detainees are given only up to three glasses of drinking water daily.

It is estimated that around 2,400 people have been arrested in post-election raids and clashes.