This Thursday (22), the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) of Venezuela, rigged by Chavismo, not only ratified the “victory” of dictator Nicolás Maduro in the presidential election of July 28, in a decision that had already been announced as “irrevocable”.
He also demanded that the Venezuelan Attorney General’s Office investigate the opposition for publishing copies of the voting records, made available on a website and which prove the victory of its candidate, Edmundo González.
This order appears to be the password for the arrest and prosecution of González and Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.
In the decision read this Thursday, the president of the TSJ and of the Electoral Chamber of the court, the Chavista Caryslia Beatriz Rodríguez, ordered the Attorney General’s Office, “in view of the anxiety caused in the population”, to investigate the alleged crimes of usurpation of functions, instigation to disobey the laws, computer crimes, association to commit crime and falsification of documents due to the publication of the minutes carried out by the opposition on its website.
On August 5, the attorney general, Chavista Tarek William Saab, had announced the opening of a criminal investigation against González and Machado for the release of a letter that, according to the Public Ministry, “falsely announced a winner [González] of the presidential elections other than that proclaimed by the National Electoral Council [CNE]the only body authorized to do so”, and “openly incites police and military officials to disobey the laws” – in this case, a request for them to stop the violent repression of protests contesting electoral fraud.
Two days later, Saab announced another investigation against the opposition, this time due to the website where copies of the voting records were made available – exactly what was ordered by Rodríguez this Thursday.
Shortly after the TSJ announcement, Saab said such investigations would be intensified. “Compliance [da decisão do Supremo da Venezuela] is mandatory in all its parts, [ela] validates the electoral results issued by the only electoral power existing in the country, which is the National Electoral Council,” said the prosecutor, according to information from the Efecto Cocuyo website.
“Usurpation of functions, electoral crimes, conspiracy between third parties, provoked by those who, in addition to ignoring the legitimately constituted authority to disclose the results, which is the CNE, used the electoral issue to escalate [a tensão na sociedade venezuelana] in violent actions, none of them peaceful in nature, which at the appropriate time we denounced, processed, filed a lawsuit and which are in full process”, stated Saab.
Earlier, the attorney general had said that none of the 25 deaths that occurred in post-election protests in Venezuela could be attributed to the security forces, indicating that the opposition would be held criminally responsible. He also said that Machado is the “moral author” of this violence and that it should be denounced “at any time.”
Maduro himself has signaled several times that the next steps should be the arrests of Machado and González. Three days after the election, he said that both should be “behind bars.”
He then said that the opposition leader is a “fugitive from justice” and should turn herself in. Finally, earlier this week, the dictator said that González has been a “fugitive from justice” since August 3, although there is currently no known arrest warrant or request for him or Machado.
In notes on X, parties that make up the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), a coalition of González and Machado, denounced that the TSJ decision indicates an increase in persecution against the two opposition members.
“In addition to trying to ratify the outrageous electoral fraud, the TSJ continues to function as an oppressive arm of the regime and sponsors political persecution against democratic forces. With this statement, the intention to increase the harassment against Edmundo González and the political leadership of the coalition is clear,” stated the Encontro Cidadão party.
“We warn the international community that this document increases repression and persecution against leaders of democratic forces, including our elected president Edmundo González,” denounced Popular Will.
Uncertain paths for Venezuela
“The persecution could intensify, because there are precedents, opposition leaders have already been persecuted and arrested on other occasions, Henrique Capriles, María Corina Machado herself, who wanted to be a candidate and was prevented from doing so. With Maduro’s legal consolidation in power, this could happen,” said Ricardo Bruno Boff, professor of international relations at the University of Vale do Itajaí (Univali), in an interview with People’s Gazette.
“It is an authoritarian government, which is there because of visibly fraudulent elections and which has already tried to do everything possible to prevent opposition candidates from participating,” he added.
Boff pointed out that, with the institutional path (eroded by Chavismo) coming to an end with a final decision by the highest instance of the Venezuelan Judiciary, internally, the only alternative left to Venezuela are protests and uprisings against the Chavista dictatorship, which could have a high cost, given the loyalty of the security forces to Maduro and his brutality.
On the external front, the possibilities are also reduced, because the deepening of Venezuela’s isolation in recent years has not been enough to overthrow Maduro.
“I think the international community needs to apply pressure, not recognize Maduro’s victory, but it cannot cut off dialogue. What we need to remember is that the world has changed and sanctions do not work, they do not bring down governments. This did not happen in Iran, North Korea, or Venezuela. The people suffer and the rulers have at their disposal the narrative that their countries are being persecuted. And today, if a country is isolated on one side, it finds opportunities on the other,” he said, citing the support of other dictatorships (such as Russia, China, and Iran) for the Chavista regime.
#electoral #fraud #consolidated #Chavismo #tighten #siege #González #María #Corina