By Luis De Jesus
26 Aug 2024, 19:56 PM EDT
Opposition leader Edmundo González, recognized by several governments as the winner of the presidential elections on July 28, has been summoned twice to the Venezuelan Public Prosecutor’s Office, which responds to the interests of the Nicolás Maduro regime.
However, there are several details that make these actions somewhat irregular, according to what lawyer Zair Mundaray, former prosecutor of the Public Ministry, published on his account on X.
“Attention to several considerations: this improvised prosecutor cites without indicating procedural quality as required by the doctrine of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, an organization taken over by piracy,” he indicated at the beginning of his message.
After this, he indicated that the politician, not having this point indicated in the summons, cannot know if he is accused or a witness, since they intend to interview him.
Mundaray said that “in the case of the accused, this is not possible, since he only makes a statement if he wishes to do so in accordance with Article 49.5 of the Constitution.”
Another detail that is the reason for the summons: “In this confusing text there are no facts or dates that serve to know what it refers to, there are two clear violations of due process.”
In addition to this, he commented: “The prosecutor who signs it includes himself in the chain of command of crimes against humanity of persecution. Now, if he refers to the post-electoral events, none of these events constitute any crime, except for the CNE (all its members) and the Electoral Chamber who have materialized a coup d’état.”
Edmundo González was summoned because he presented a website in which he shared the results of the electoral process that declared him the winner.
For these reasons, he is being investigated for the following crimes: usurpation of functions, forgery of public documents, instigation to disobedience of the law, computer crimes, criminal association and conspiracy.
A summons with the same procedural flaws as the previous one is observed, only the recipient changes. Neither of the two has been received directly by the President-Elect @EdmundoGU. Both have been signed by different unidentified persons, they lack a mailing address… https://t.co/LGmET19fq6
— Zair Mundaray (@MundarayZair) August 26, 2024
Why doesn’t Edmundo González go to the Public Prosecutor’s Office?
On August 25, the diplomat stated: “The Public Prosecutor’s Office intends to submit me to an interview without specifying under what condition I am expected to appear and pre-qualifying crimes not committed.”
In his opinion, Attorney General Tarek William Saab has become a political accuser, who condemns him in advance and also promotes a summons without guarantees and respect for due process.
González took advantage of the video he shared on X to send a message to Nicolás Maduro and insist that the decision of Venezuelans cannot be subject to a ruling by the Supreme Court of Justice, controlled by Chavista militants.
“For the peace and well-being of the country, please submit the minutes,” he said in the video.
Continue reading:
• Venezuela: Opposition calls for people to take to the streets against Supreme Court decision that “ratifies victory” of Maduro
• María Corina Machado calls on the world to stop Maduro’s repression in Venezuela
• European Union calls for independent verification of election results in Venezuela