The Government of Ecuador announced that it will ask the United Nations Security Council to evaluate the situation in Venezuela at its next session, “given the increase in tensions, which could become a direct threat to regional stability and international security.”
In a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility, the Ecuadorian Executive indicated that the UN Security Council will be able to receive “information on the evolution of the crisis and fulfill its function of conflict prevention” during a consultation session scheduled for this Thursday.
Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld said in a message posted on social media that “without a doubt, the will of the Venezuelan people expressed at the polls must be heard and respected, that is democracy.”
Sommerfeld posted the message from Israel, where he began a visit on Tuesday with the aim of strengthening bilateral relations, cooperation and mutual aid, for which he will hold meetings with high-ranking authorities, academic meetings and approaches with businessmen.
Rejection
Earlier, in a separate statement, the Ecuadorian government “strongly” rejected the arrest warrant issued by the Venezuelan courts, at the request of the Attorney General’s Office, against opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia, who was the presidential candidate of the largest anti-Chavez bloc in the July 28 elections.
The administration of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa considered that “the alleged crimes charged to Mr. González Urrutia clearly show political persecution, disrespect for the separation of powers and due process guarantees.”
“Ecuador condemns the deplorable decision of the Venezuelan Prosecutor’s Office and joins the international community in calling on the Venezuelan authorities to guarantee the safety, freedom and life of Edmundo González Urrutia,” the Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry concluded.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office requested the arrest of González Urrutia after he failed to attend three summonses, in which they expected him to make a statement in the context of an investigation against him related to the fraud complaint he made regarding the presidential elections.
Imputation
The Venezuelan Prosecutor’s Office accuses González Urrutia of the crimes of “usurpation of functions”, “forgery of public documents”, “instigation to disobedience of laws”, “conspiracy”, “sabotage to damage systems and association (to commit crimes).”
The investigation is related to the publication of a website on which the main opposition coalition – the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) – claims to have uploaded “83.5% of the electoral records” collected by witnesses and polling station members to reinforce its claim that González Urrutia won the election by a wide margin.
The PUD released these records, which the Executive calls “false,” after the National Electoral Council (CNE) declared President Nicolás Maduro the winner of the elections, which has been questioned by numerous countries, some of which support González Urrutia winning the Presidency.
The international community, including the United States and the European Union (EU), is calling on the Venezuelan government to publish the minutes to recognise Maduro as the winner, with some exceptions such as Cuba and Nicaragua.
Quito / EFE
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2024-09-04 16:00:18
