By FABIOLA SÁNCHEZ
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Concerns were expressed all over the world Sunday over the rising variety of arrests in Venezuela following last weekend's disputed elections.
Pope Francis said in his traditional Sunday address on the Vatican that Venezuela was “experiencing a critical situation,” adding: “I appeal to all parties to seek the truth and avoid any form of violence.”
The remarks got here hours after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced on Saturday that The government has arrested 2,000 opponentsAt a rally within the Venezuelan capital Caracas, Maduro promised to arrest and imprison more people.
US Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer said on Sunday on the CBS program “Face the Nation” that the Biden administration was concerned the arrests could trigger wider unrest.
“We are concerned about the prospect of instability if such detentions continue,” Finer said.
And in an announcement, the leaders of several European countries, including France, Spain, Germany and Italy, said: “The rights of all Venezuelans, especially political leaders, must be respected during this process. We strongly condemn any arrests or threats against them.”
The authorities said President Nicolas Maduro the winner of last Sunday’s election, but has not yet Voting results to prove that he won. The opposition claims to have vote counts that prove their victory.
An Associated Press Analysis of Friday’s ballots The data published by the opposition coalition show that its candidate Edmundo González received significantly more votes than claimed by the federal government, which raises serious doubts concerning the official statement that Maduro won.
Both González, a former diplomat and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado — who were barred from running by the federal government — have gone into hiding for fear of being arrested or killed. Maduro and his cadres have threatened to imprison them each.
The government arrested a whole bunch of opposition supporters who took to the streets in the times following the controversial election.
Machado defied the threats and spoke at a big opposition rally in Caracas on Saturday, but was then taken away on the back of a motorbike.
“After six days of brutal repression, they thought they could silence us, intimidate us or paralyze us,” Machado said on the rally. “The presence of each and every one of you here today represents the best that Venezuela has to offer.”
A couple of hours later, Maduro again threatened to arrest González for failing to attend a gathering of the Electoral Council to which he had been summoned. The council, like most parts of the Venezuelan government, is totally controlled by Maduro.
“You will face serious legal consequences for disregarding the Constitution, the courts and the law,” Maduro said of González.
Maduro also announced that he would proceed to take a tough line against his opponents. 2,000 of them have already been arrested, it was said.
“This time there will be no pardon, this time there will be Tocorón,” he said, referring to a notorious prison.
On Friday, masked attackers searched the opposition headquarters on Friday, took documents and ransacked the premises.
In his long, rambling speech, Maduro made threats but in addition called for reconciliation and peace. He claimed that “in Venezuela there is room for everyone” and called the country “the blessed land of unlimited opportunities.”
Venezuela is at the highest of the the most important proven oil reserves on this planet and was once essentially the most developed economy in Latin America, but after Maduro took office in 2013, the country fell right into a free fall marked by hyperinflation of 130,000 percent and widespread shortages. More than 7.7 million Venezuelans have fled the country since 2014, the most important exodus within the recent history of Latin America.
US oil sanctions have only exacerbated the misery, and the Biden administration – which had eased those restrictions – is now more likely to tighten them again unless Maduro agrees a sort of transition.
Late Friday evening, Venezuela’s Supreme Court declared the Supreme Court, ordered the Maduro-controlled National Electoral Council to release the precinct ballots inside three days. Several governments, including close Maduro allies within the region, called on Venezuelan electoral authorities to release the precinct results, as they’ve done after previous elections.
The AP processed nearly 24,000 images of ballots showing the outcomes from 79 percent of voting machines.
According to the calculations, González received 6.89 million votes, almost half 1,000,000 greater than Maduro won based on government figures. The counts also show that Maduro received 3.13 million votes based on the published ballots.
Brazil, Colombia and Mexico have already made quite a few diplomatic efforts to influence Maduro to permit an impartial review of the election. On Thursday, the governments of the three countries released a joint statement calling on Venezuelan electoral authorities to “move forward expeditiously and make detailed electoral data public.”
Originally published:
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