Venezuela | Edmundo González Urrutia: Nicolás Maduro’s latest wave of arrests before January 10 that includes a presidential candidate and Edmundo’s son-in-law

In the case of Enrique Marquez was detained by state security agents, denounced the opposition party Popular Will (VP).

“Marquezlike the majority of Venezuelans, did not endorse Maduro’s fraud on July 28. He has not committed any crime. “We demand that he appear now and be released immediately.”said Voluntad Popular on social networks.

The politician has been vice president of the National Electoral Council (CNE) and deputy. After the elections of July 28, he demanded several times the publication of the voting minutes and rejected the ruling of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) that validated the irregular re-election of Maduro proclaimed by the CNE.

On Wednesday night, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello confirmed Márquez’s arrest and accused him of allegedly planning a coup d’état for January 10. He added that according to a 21-page document allegedly found on his computer, he had proposed holding González Urrutia’s swearing-in ceremony at a Venezuelan embassy abroad.

On Tuesday, Edmundo González Urrutiarecognized as the winner of the elections by the United States and other countries, denounced the “forced disappearance” of his son-in-law Rafael Tudares in Caracas.

“This morning my son-in-law Rafael Tudares was kidnapped. Rafael was heading to my grandchildren’s school to drop them off for the start of classes, men intercepted him hoodeddressed in black, put him in a gold-colored truck, license plate AA54E2C, and took him away. At this time he is missing”he said on his social networks.

In another message, Edmundo Gonzalez He described the kidnapping of his son-in-law as “forced disappearance.” He did so by quoting a statement from his daughter, Mariana Gonzalezin which she defended her husband’s innocence.

In her message, Mariana González explained that Tudares was “intercepted” without “any measure” when he was traveling in his vehicle with his 6 and 7 year old children.. “At what point did it become a crime to be a family member of Edmundo González Urrutia? Is that why they took my husband? “What are you accused of?” he asked.

The arrest of the defender of freedom of expression and human rights was also reported on Tuesday Carlos Correa.

“The whereabouts of our CEO is unknown. Carlos Correa from approximately 5:00 pm (21:00 GMT), on January 7. It has not been possible to establish communication. According to witnesses, was intercepted in the center of Caracas by alleged hooded officials. “We demand that the State appear safe and sound,” Public Space published on the social network

Through a video, Correa’s wife, Mabel Calderínwarned about the delicate health conditions of the journalist, who is undergoing various medical treatments that cannot be interrupted.

“He is hypertensive, he has permanent treatment that he cannot stop taking. You have prostate problems that need to be treated, in addition to endocrinological, dental and dermatological treatment. At this moment he is undergoing delicate, complicated treatment and needs to be treated.”, express.

Neither the Prosecutor’s Office nor the police authorities have confirmed these arrests.

In addition, other opponents were arrested, such as Francisco Carielloleader of the Alianza Bravo Pueblo party in the state of Falcón, Jesus Sirateacher and leader in the state of Lara; Jeremy Santamariacouncilor of Puerto Ordaz. Also the collaborators of the Vente Venezuela party Marianela Ojeda, Francisco Graterol, Robert Rea, Darío Durán, Enger Jordán; y Alejandro Bricenofrom Democratic Action.

Maduro reported on Tuesday the arrest of seven foreign citizens who acted likemercenaries” and allegedly planned violent actions in Venezuela.

The detainees are two Americans, two Colombians and three Ukrainianshe detailed Maduro without revealing their names or the evidence against them.

On Monday, the Minister of the Interior, Diosdado Hairreported that the Venezuelan authorities had detained 125 “mercenaries” of various nationalities accused of “destabilizing actions.” Among those arrested are four Peruvians.

“It seeks to demobilize the population”

The opposition leader Maria Corina Machado called on Venezuelans to demonstrate in the streets on January 9 and 10 to pressure for the swearing-in of González and not that of Maduroas the regime intends.

Oscar Perezpresident of the Venezuelan Union in Peruhe told The Commerce that this last wave of arrests “It is nothing more than the continuation of the escalation of violence generation as a political strategy of the Maduro regime.”to seek to demobilize the Venezuelan population who is willing to take to the streets to defend what was her decision on July 28: to elect with a resounding and majority vote Edmundo González Urrutia as its president.”

“The only thing the regime seeks is to sow fear, terror, and restlessness in the Venezuelan population.. It is not a new practice, it has been used even since the time when Hugo Chávez Frías was in power”said Pérez.

“The regime means I have control, I can arrest you whenever I want because I have control of the public powers.but I can also release you whenever I want, regardless of the judicial or prosecutor’s decision. From the Executive I can order the prosecutor, the Judiciary to release you; That is, I have absolute power in Venezuela”he added.

The Venezuelan lawyer Darrin J. Gibbs listed to The Commerce the repressive actions carried out by the regime Maduro in the last few days. He said the wave of arrests has added to the militarization of the countrywith the focus on the center of Caracas, specifically in the vicinity of the Miraflores Palace and the National Assembly, where practically no one can enter without being controlled.

The threat to Edmundo González’s plane

Does the regime have limits, what could happen if Edmundo González decides to enter Venezuela accompanied by former Latin American presidents?

Pérez indicated that Diosdado Hair“the spokesperson for this new escalation of violence, abuse, and persecution that is intended to restart in Venezuelahas said that they are even willing to shoot down the plane of Edmundo and the former presidents if they try to reach the country.”

“He said they would be treated like invaders. Beyond seeing it as bravado of CabelloI analyze what was said as a desperate measure, a narrative full of a lot of nervousness Faced with what they also have no clarity on what the reaction of the people and even the Armed Forces themselves may be next Friday, January 10,” Pérez explained.

Gibbs said there is a lot of tension about this in Venezuelaafter Cabello warned that if there is a violation of airspace, this action will be considered hostile, so the ship could be shot down.

The lawyer also cited the statement of the Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padrinowho pointed out that there are planes prepared to prevent González’s ship from accessing Venezuelan airspace.

“These are very serious, very lofty statements. The only way for a plane to be shot down is for it to show hostility, or for there to be situations involving explosives on the ship, an issue of a chemical agent, but this is not the case. What there is is the presence of humans who do not represent a risk factor; In this case the plane must land, it will be the regime’s decision whether to let them go down or not,” Gibbs noted.

The lapidary report of the IACHR

What is currently happening in Venezuela is the repetition of a pattern of violations of human rights by the regime that has been repeated even since Maduro He took power for the first time in 2013.

That is also the conclusion of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR)which in a report released on Tuesday accused the Government of carrying out repression after the July 28 elections, with “at least 25 murders, dozens of brief forced disappearances, some 2,000 arbitrary detentions, torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.”

In the report, the IACHR stated that Maduro not only “executed state terrorism practices” to “prevent the political participation of the opposition”, but also “implemented a coordinated repressive strategy to illegitimately perpetuate itself in power.”

The IACHR warned that the regime divided its strategy into three stages: the first in the pre-electoral process, the second on election day, and the third, the most repressive, after the elections.

In the third stage, the regime launched the so-called “Operation Tun Tun”, in response to the nearly 300 demonstrations that broke out in the country due to “the perception of fraud.”

“This operation left at least 25 murders, dozens of brief forced disappearances, some 2,000 arbitrary detentions – including girls, boys and adolescents –, torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, and serious violations of judicial guarantees and freedom of expression” said the IACHR in his report.

“Tactics were used such as mass arrests, searches without a court order, marking opposition homes, raids in popular neighborhoods and abrupt cancellation of passports,” he added.

The IACHR highlighted that “the electoral opacity, and in general, the restrictions on political rights registered prevent this Commission from considering that the re-election of Nicolás Maduro enjoys democratic legitimacy.”