January 3rd 2025.
On Thursday, the government of Venezuela made a significant announcement. They declared that they would be offering a reward of $US100,000 to anyone who could provide information on the whereabouts of Edmundo González, the opposition candidate who claimed to have won against President Nicolás Maduro in last year's election. This news came just eight days before the start of Venezuela's next presidential term.
The announcement was made by the country's Scientific, Criminal and Forensic Investigations Agency, who stated on their Instagram post that they were offering the reward to anyone who could help locate González. The post also included a wanted-like bulletin with González's photo and instructions to turn him in to the authorities.
Shortly after the government's announcement, González's campaign revealed that he would be embarking on an international tour starting with a visit to Argentina, where he would meet with President Javier Milei on Saturday. This news came as a surprise, as González had left Venezuela in September to seek exile in Spain after a warrant was issued for his arrest in relation to the July 28 presidential election.
During the election, the country's National Electoral Council, which was filled with members loyal to the ruling party, declared Maduro as the winner. However, the opposition, armed with tally sheets from 80% of the electronic voting machines, posted them online and claimed that González had actually won with double the number of votes. This sparked global outrage and led Maduro to request an audit of the results from the high court, which was also stacked with loyalists.
Despite the calls for transparency, the court reaffirmed Maduro's victory and he has already received an invitation from the National Assembly for a swearing-in ceremony on January 10. On the other hand, González has announced his intention to return to Venezuela by that date, but has not yet revealed his plans for doing so or what he intends to do upon his arrival.
Since his arrival in Spain, González has claimed that he was forced to sign a letter acknowledging his defeat in the election by Maduro's allies in order to leave Venezuela. In the meantime, the government of Argentina, under President Milei, has been a strong supporter of the main opposition coalition in Venezuela and has even provided shelter to five members of the faction in their diplomatic compound in Caracas since March.
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