US diplomat warns Maduro against arresting opposition leaders
Following the controversial presidential election in Venezuela, a high-ranking U.S. diplomat has warned the declared winner, Nicolás Maduro, against arresting opposition leaders. "If Maduro decides to do so, it will unite the international community in a way he cannot imagine," said U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), Francisco Mora, at an event hosted by the U.S. think tank Atlantic Council.
The international community would increase pressure within the OAS if opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia and opposition leader María Corina Machado were arrested, as Maduro has demanded. Even countries that have some sympathy for Venezuela would join this pressure, Mora said. Both opposition politicians are under investigation by the Venezuelan prosecution for "inciting rebellion." They have not been seen in public for days due to the threat of arrest.
The U.S. and other countries consider González Urrutia the true winner of the July 28 election. They do not believe the election results released by the government-controlled Venezuelan electoral commission, which show Maduro as the winner. Among the countries questioning Maduro's election victory are left-leaning Latin American countries such as Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico.
Mora said the U.S. initially relies on the diplomatic channels of these three countries and wants to give them "the space and opportunity to find a way forward." However, the situation in Venezuela is a high priority in Washington.
Then-U.S. President Donald Trump also recognized Maduro's opponent, Juan Guaidó, as the winner of the 2018 election, not Maduro. Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, is supported by the military in his country and by Cuba, China, and Russia. Doubts about the legitimacy of his re-election also exist among European governments.
If Maduro proceeds with the arrest of González Urrutia or Machado, it would further deteriorate his relationship with the international community. The potential arrest of these opposition leaders could lead to stricter sanctions from the U.S. and other nations.
