Opposition leader in Venezuela calls on international community to act

Venezuela's opposition leader María Corina Machado has called on the international community to pressure President Nicolás Maduro to step down in January. According to AP, Machado demanded that her party's presidential candidate be immediately recognized as the winner of the election and that action be taken against government officials who began post-election abuses.

Machado wants a peaceful transfer of power

Machado spoke online from an unknown location, according to Voice of America. She stressed her willingness to trade guarantees that would lead to a peaceful transfer of power. “We, the Venezuelan people, have done everything,” she said. “We faced tyranny and we won. If the world looks away, it means elections are worthless.”

Arrest warrant against opposition candidate

Three days earlier, according to AP, the judiciary, which is loyal to the ruling party, issued an arrest warrant for former diplomat Edmundo González, who ran for the opposition in the election. Although the National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner, it did not publish the voting results. The opposition claims that González won over Maduro and presents as proof a majority of over 80 percent in the vote counts of voting machines.

After the announcement of Maduro's “election victory,” nationwide protests broke out. The government reacted harshly. A report by Human Rights Watch accused state security forces and gangs allied with the ruling party of being responsible for up to 24 deaths. “They have no limits in their cruelty,” Machado said, according to Voice of America.