Venezuela’s government has announced a $100,000 reward for information on Edmundo González, the opposition candidate who claims to have won last year’s presidential election against President Nicolás Maduro.
González had fled Venezuela in September for exile in Spain after a judge issued a warrant for his arrest. He had previously said that he intended to return to Venezuela by January 10th, but has not explained how he plans to do so or what his plans are upon arrival.
The opposition candidate’s campaign announced that González would kick off an international tour with a visit to Argentina, where he would meet with President Javier Milei on Saturday. This move comes despite the fact that Maduro has already received an invitation to be sworn in as president on January 10th.
González had claimed victory in the election after opposition leaders collected tally sheets from 80% of electronic voting machines and posted them online, showing that he won with twice as many votes as Maduro. However, the government’s National Electoral Council disputed these results, leading to global condemnation. Despite this, the Supreme Court reaffirmed Maduro’s victory.
The opposition is pushing for a peaceful transfer of power, while Maduro’s government appears determined to maintain its control. González’s return to Venezuela poses significant challenges and uncertainties, but his campaign remains committed to exploring all options to bring about change in the country.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-edmundo-opposition-presidential-election-reward-arrest-5b6bf23e53642db059304bef14d2f4ff