Venezuela opposition denounces 'harassment' as Maduro bolsters cabinet

Aerial view of people taking part in a protest called by the Venezuelan opposition for election 'victory' to be recognised at the United Nations Square, near the Floralis Generica sculpture, in Buenos Aires on August 17, 2024. [AFP]

Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia ignored a second summons from prosecutors Tuesday as his coalition denounced "judicial harassment" following President Nicolas Maduro's disputed reelection.

Prosecutors loyal to Maduro want to question the 74-year-old, who is in hiding, in an investigation into his claim -- supported by the United States and other countries -- that he was the legitimate victor of the July 28 elections.

The Unitary Platform opposition coalition insisted Tuesday that its candidate had won the vote "by an overwhelming majority" and was the victim of "judicial harassment."

Maduro, however, forged ahead with his plans for a third six-year term by reshuffling his cabinet and appointing new interior and oil ministers.

Also on Tuesday, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado -- replaced on the ballot by Gonzalez Urrutia at the last minute after the regime barred her from running -- accused Maduro's government of "kidnapping" her lawyer.

Gonzalez Urrutia, who went into hiding shortly after the election, was summoned to appear before prosecutors investigating him for alleged "usurpation of functions" and "forgery of public documents."

The retired diplomat ignored a first summons on Monday and again failed to show after a second notice was issued for Tuesday.

The investigation stems from the opposition publishing voting records it says show Gonzalez Urrutia won the election by a wide margin.

"The repeated summons... constitute a clear violation of the right to freedom of expression", the Unitary Platform wrote on X, adding it now feared an arrest warrant may now be issued for Gonzalez Urrutia.

Maduro lashed out at his rival's no-show, labelling him a "coward" who was "leading a coup d'etat from hiding."

Lawyer 'kidnapped'

Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE), with most of its members friendly to 61-year-old Maduro, declared him the winner of the election.

The United States, the European Union and several Latin American countries have refused to recognize Maduro's claimed victory without seeing detailed polling results.

The CNE has said it cannot publish the records as hackers had corrupted the data, though observers have said there was no evidence of that.

Maduro on Tuesday named two of his closest allies to key cabinet positions.

Diosdado Cabello, number two in the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), will now head the interior ministry, which is responsible for policing and security matters.

Vice President Delcy Rodriguez will take over the role of oil minister in a country with the largest reserves in the world but an industry bent under US sanctions.

Maduro also renewed the appointment of Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, who has repeatedly sworn the military's "absolute loyalty" to the president.

Machado on Tuesday said the regime had "kidnapped" her personal lawyer, Perkins Rocha.

The authorities have not commented on the reported arrest, which would add to the more than 100 opposition activists taken into custody in recent months.

Rival demonstrations

The announcement of Maduro's reelection sparked protests that left 25 civilians dead, with nearly 200 people wounded and more than 2,400 arrested, according to authorities.

Gonzalez Urrutia last appeared in public at a protest two days after the election.

Maduro has said both he and Machado belonged "behind bars."

Machado called on supporters to turn out for demonstrations on Wednesday against Maduro's "fraud" -- exactly one month after the disputed vote.

It will be the third opposition rally held since the election.

The government has similarly called for demonstrations on Wednesday to celebrate its "victory."

Observers say what happens next will depend on whether the international community can exert sufficient pressure on Maduro -- who managed to cling to power despite sanctions that followed his 2018 reelection, which was also dismissed as a sham by dozens of countries.

Since coming to power in 2013, Maduro has presided over an economic collapse that has seen more than seven million Venezuelans flee the country as GDP plunged 80 per cent in a decade.

Human Rights Watch said Tuesday that holding fresh elections in Venezuela, as proposed by the presidents of Brazil and Colombia, would make a "mockery" of the process.