Luis Almagro rejects arrest warrant against Edmundo González

Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Organization of American States, condemned this Tuesday the arrest warrant against the Venezuelan opposition Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia.

«Political persecution constitutes one more crime in the permanent and continuous legal logic of systematic violation of human rights in the country,» Almagro said in a statement.

“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 added.

In his opinion, the Venezuelan judiciary does not administer justice, but repression and violation of fundamental freedoms. “It becomes the main agent of impunity for human rights violations.”

A Venezuelan court specializing in terrorism-related crimes issued a ruling on Monday arrest warrant against González Urrutia, less than an hour after the Prosecutor’s Office requested it, after the politician failed to appear for three summonses.

What is Edmundo González accused of?

The standard-bearer of the Democratic Unitary Platform is accused of usurpation of functions, forging a public document, instigation to disobedience of laws, conspiracy and association to commit a crime, among other crimes.

«Hope that Venezuelan prosecutors, magistrates and judges eventually do justice it is a legal nonsense. But this also leads to an even greater ethical and moral nonsense, as it continues to expose the Venezuelan people to the systematic policies of crimes against humanity of the Venezuelan regime,” said Almagro.

For the OAS Secretary General, “respect for guarantees and conditions of the rule of law requires international action and not inaction.”

OAS General Secretariat condemns arrest warrant for Edmundo González in Venezuelahttps://t.co/1EihzBpqMD pic.twitter.com/Z09xz9FQYJ

— Luis Almagro (@Almagro_OEA2015) September 3, 2024