Voices across the globe express concern over increasing arrests in Venezuela after disputed election

Caracas Venezuela — Voices from around the world expressed concern Sunday over the growing number of arrests in Venezuela following last weekend’s disputed elections.

Pope Francis said Venezuela is “experiencing a critical situation” in his traditional Sunday remarks at the Vatican, adding: “I call on all parties to seek the truth and avoid all types of violence.”

The comments came hours after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced Saturday that The government has arrested 2,000 opponents. At a rally in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, Maduro promised to arrest more people and send them to prison.

U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that the Biden administration is concerned the arrests could spark broader unrest.

“We are concerned about the prospect of instability if these arrests continue,” Finer said.

And in a statement, the leaders of several European countries, including France, Spain, Germany and Italy, said that “the rights of all Venezuelans, especially political leaders, must be respected during this process. “We strongly condemn any arrest or threat against them.”

The authorities have declared President Nicolas Maduro the winner in last Sunday’s elections but they have not yet produced vote counts to show that he won. The opposition claims to have records showing that it won.

An associated press Friday’s analysis of the scrutiny minutes. published by the opposition coalition indicates that its candidate, Edmundo González, obtained many more votes than the government claimed, which casts serious doubts on the official statement that Maduro won.

Both González, a former diplomat, and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado – who were banned by the government from running – have gone into hiding, saying they fear being arrested or killed. Maduro and his cadres have threatened to lock them both up.

Government arrested hundreds of opposition supporters who took to the streets in the days following the controversial survey.

Machado defied threats to speak at a massive opposition rally Saturday in Caracas, but was then taken away on the back of a motorcycle.

“After six days of brutal repression, they thought they were going to silence us, intimidate or paralyze us,” Machado said at the demonstration. “The presence of each of you here today represents the best of Venezuela.”

A few hours later, Maduro again threatened to arrest González for not showing up at the electoral council meeting to which he had been summoned. The council, like most of Venezuela’s government, is completely controlled by Maduro.

“One faces serious legal consequences for disobeying the Constitution, the courts and the law,” Maduro said of González.

Maduro also promised to continue using a strong hand against his opponents, saying that 2,000 of them have already been arrested.

“This time there will be no pardon, this time there will be Tocorón,” he said, referring to a notorious prison.

On Friday, masked robbers On Friday they ransacked the opposition headquarters, took documents and destroyed the space.

In his long and incoherent speech, Maduro issued threats but also called for reconciliation and peace, stating that “there is room for everyone in Venezuela” and calling it “the blessed land of opportunities.”

Venezuela is at the top The largest proven crude oil reserves in the world. and once boasted Latin America’s most advanced economy, but entered a free fall marked by 130,000% hyperinflation and widespread shortages after Maduro took command in 2013. More than 7.7 million Venezuelans have fled the country. since 2014, the biggest exodus in the recent history of Latin America.

US oil sanctions have only deepened the misery, and the Biden administration, which had been easing those restrictions, is now likely to increase them again unless Maduro agrees. some kind of transition.

On Friday night, Venezuela’s highest court, The supreme court of justice, He ordered the National Electoral Council, controlled by Maduro, to deliver the vote count sheets for the electoral districts within three days. There have been calls from multiple governments, including Maduro’s close regional allies, for Venezuela’s electoral authorities to release recounts at the electoral district level, as they have done after previous elections.

The AP processed almost 24,000 images of tally sheets, representing the results of 79% of the voting machines.

According to calculations, the Gonzálezes received 6.89 million votes, almost half a million more than the government says Maduro won. The tabulations also show that Maduro received 3.13 million votes from the published minutes.

By comparison, the National Electoral Council said Friday that, according to 96.87% of the records, Maduro had obtained 6.4 million votes and González had 5.3 million. The president of the National Electoral Council, Elvis Amoroso, attributed the delay in the presentation of complete results to attacks on the “technological infrastructure.”

There has been a flurry of diplomatic efforts by Brazil, Colombia and Mexico to convince Maduro to allow an impartial audit of the vote. On Thursday, the governments of the three countries issued a joint statement calling on Venezuela’s electoral authorities to “move quickly and publicly publish” detailed election data.