Venezuelan Opposition Presidential Candidate Refuses to Attend Supreme Court Hearing

Edmundo González Urrutia, the presidential candidate for the opposition alliance known as the Unitary Platform, refused to attend a Supreme Court hearing regarding an audit of Venezuela's July 28 presidential election which ultimately resulted in the nation's National Electoral Council (CNE) declaring President Nicolas Maduro as the country's next president for seven more years..Further Controversy.The Supreme Court ordered González and other presidential candidates to attend the hearing. González ultimately refused to attend, likely due to fears regarding the presidential candidate's safety following an announced investigation into both González and figurehead of the Unitary Platform, Maria Corina Machado, on Tuesday. The Supreme Court hearing follows international condemnation of Maduro with accusations of electoral fraud running rampant since the CNE's declaration early in the morning of July 29.."I will put at risk not only my freedom but, more importantly, the will of the Venezuelan people expressed on July 28, 2024 and the gigantic effort of the Venezuelans who have participated in this process so that we could obtain evidence of the vote validly cast by the citizens," González said in a statement..While many foreign nations chose to only request Maduro's regime release election tally sheets, some nations have opted to directly call Maduro's victory into question following Maduro's aforementioned failure to release tally sheets and the oppositions publication of 80 percent of tally sheets from polling stations across Venezuela. Both the United States and Argentina have rallied behind the opposition, declaring González the true victor in this year's election leading to increased tensions between these nations and Venezuela..In response to international criticism, especially from nations such as Argentina, Chile, and Peru, Maduro's regime has expelled diplomatic staff to Venezuela leading to a diplomatic crisis regarding six Venezuelan asylees taking shelter in the Argentine Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela's capital. Ultimately, Brazil has chosen to take on the responsibilities of the expelled nations, both safeguarding the six asylees residing in Argentina's diplomatic premises and acting as representatives for those nations expelled..Judge Caryslia Rodríguez, president of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice and its electoral court, announced to the public in a televised address on Monday that failing to appear to the hearing would lead to legal consequences leading to agitation from international observers as González's safety is further questioned..Since Maduro's announced victory on July 29, Venezuelan authorities have enacted a brutal campaign of political repression against protestors, opposition voters, and leaders of opposition parties resulting in at least 1,200 arrests according to the Prosecutor's Office and an additional 20 deaths according to Human Rights Watch. Violence has erupted on the streets of Venezuela, perputrated by both government forces and bands of armed civilian gangs loyal to Maduro who have taken to the streets to disperse anti-Maduro demonstrators..As the opposition struggles to force the Venezuelan government to recoginize what they believe to be a González victory in the election, some international observers and analysts have called for a direct confrontation by the United States. Some have called for the United States to reimpose sanctions against Venezuela, sanctions that were waived in the Barbados Agreement in an effort to secure fair and free elections within the country, while others have called for a direct effort by the United States to depose Maduro himself..Notably, John Bolton, the former Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and diplomat to the United Nations, has called upon the United States to reimpose sanctions against Venezuela and revive the Lima Group, an organization of American nations formed to address Venezuela's economic and humanitarian crisis.."I am calling on the White House to revive the Lima Group and get countries in South America to recognize Edmundo Gonzalez's win. This move will weaken Maduro's power & influence in Venezuela," Bolton said in a post on X..Furthermore, one of the founders of notorious private military contracting group Blackwater—now known as Constellis—Erik Prince, addressed both United States President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris suggesting that the bounties against Maduro and veteran of the Venezuelan military, Diosdado Cabello, be increased if they "want to actually support Freedom and legitimate elections in Venezuela." While Prince did not explicity offer to pursue the bounty, the former Navy SEAL stated the pair can "sit back and watch the magic happen.".Regardless of the potential involvement of the United States, the strategy of Venezuela's opposition remains uncertain as coups against Maduro's regime have been met with failure, such as Operation Gideon in 2020, while the formation of an opposition government led by Juan Guaidó also failed following the previous presidential elections in 2018. Some have suggested the opposition may seek to remove Maduro from power by securing the loyalty of the military's lower enlisted, as evidenced by a statement published by both Machado and González on Monday, however, a successful coup remains unlikely due to Maduro's control of both the Venezuelan higher government and military elite..Regardless of the opposition's strategy in regards to Maduro, political repression against the opposition alongside violence on Venezuela's streets will continue as the election remains contested..What Another Seven Years of Maduro Could Mean.Since 1999, Venezuela has been under the rule of socialists. First, with Hugo Chavez whose political ideology dubbed Chavism has been handed down to current President, Nicolas Maduro. Chavez ruled until 2013 when he died of cancer, leaving behind a massive power struggle as high ranking officials within Chavez's PSUV and the political opposition scrambled for power. Ultimately, after elections held the same year of his death, Nicolas Maduro was elected President with a mere 1.5 percent margin over his opponent, Henrique Capriles, the Presidential candidate for the opposition Democratic Unity Platform..Prior to the death of Chavez however, Venezuela wagered its vast deposits of oil for economic gain. These reserves, coupled with increasing oil prices in the 2000s ultimately led to Venezuela finding itself with a large increase in funds which was used to address poverty across the country. While critics of Chavez's regime claimed the then President used the funds to buy votes and ultimately support his rule rather than the good of Venezuela, the result of Chavez's work led to a 20 percent decrease in poverty across the country..This over-reliance on oil eventually led to the current economic crisis within Venezuela today, further exacerbated by poor fiscal decisions by both Chavez and Maduro throughout their respective tenures. In the early 2010s, these poor decisions made by Chavez ultimately left Venezuela's economy struggling with shortages of food and other goods becoming commonplace amid rising inflation and poverty rates..These economic issues only increased in 2015 amid falling oil prices coupled with struggles within Venezuela's oil production industry. During the start of the financial crisis within Venezuela, anti-government demonstrations became a common sight, a fact that Maduro's regime would seek to acknowledge. Maduro's government enacted a viscous crackdown on political dissent, with reports of authorities executing dissenters and imprisoning those who spoke against the government becoming more common..In the face of Venezuela's humanitarian crisis, both in terms of economic hardship and political repression, United States President Barack Obama designated Venezuela as a national security threat and issued sanctions against a number of the nation's political figures in an effort to force the hands of the country's political elite. Sanctions would increase in 2017 under the Trump administration, with these new sanctions targeting more Venezuelan political figures. President Trump would then sign further sanctions into effect in 2019, this time targeting Venezuela's oil, gold, and other industries vital for the country..In an effort to lessen sanctions against Venezuela, Maduro's government signed the Barbados Agreement in October 2023 with the Unitary Platform. This agreement was intended to promote political rights and electoral guarantees for those wishing to run for office ahead of the Presidential election. Following the signing, the United States and European Union relieved some sanctions against Venezuela's oil and gold industries. This relief would not last long however, as sanctions against Venezuela's gold mining industry were reimposed in late January following perceived failures of Maduro's regime to respect the agreement..With the CNE, the only body allowed to announce the victor in elections, officially declaring Maduro the winner, Venezuela is set to continue the policies of Chavism, likely continuing the economic decline of the country. The original sanctions imposed against Maduro's regime are likely to be reasserted by the United States and the European Union following the wealth of accusations of tampering and repression during the election period, while political repression by Maduro's regime will likely ramp up with the conclusion of elections..Protests against Maduro's continued reign are sure to break out in the days following the announced results, while reprisals by the state are sure to follow.