Maria Corina Machado on Borrell’s position on Venezuela

Opposition leader María Corina Machado on Tuesday praised the position of the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, as well as the Organization of American States (OAS) in rejecting the arrest warrant against the standard-bearer of anti-Chavezism, Edmundo González Urrutia.

“We Venezuelans value and appreciate this position of the European Union, Mr. Josep Borrell. We must all protect the president-elect Edmundo González Urrutia and move forward with the necessary actions that will allow the urgent transition in Venezuela,” Machado wrote on social network X.

He said that the majority opposition will continue to move forward with its “allies on both sides of the Atlantic” to achieve this goal “as soon as possible.”

The former deputy also thanked the Secretary General of the OAS, Luis Almagrocondemning the arrest warrant against González Urrutia, while saying that the inter-American system, “faithful to its principles and values, responds with determination.”

“The world must move forward in the face of the regime’s attempt to go against President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia,” he added.

Borrell on Tuesday “categorically” rejected the arrest warrant against the flag bearer of the majority opposition in Venezuela, issued on Monday by a court specializing in crimes related to terrorism.

“I categorically reject the arrest warrant against Edmundo González Urrutia and urge the Venezuelan authorities to respect his freedom, integrity and human rights,” Borrell said in X.

Almagro stressed that political persecution “constitutes one more crime in the permanent and continuous legal logic of systematic violation of human rights in the country.”

“Once again, the judiciary in Venezuela is committing acts that point to it as a key instrument in the execution of crimes against humanity in the country,” he said in a statement.

The leader of the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) is accused of “usurpation of functions”, “forgery of public documents”, “instigation to disobedience of laws”, “conspiracy”, “sabotage to damage systems and association (to commit a crime).”

The investigation is related to the publication of a website, in which the PUD claims to have uploaded 83.5% of the electoral records collected by witnesses and table members to demonstrate what they consider electoral “fraud”, as they claim that González Urrutia won the elections by a wide margin.