Venezuelan opposition denounces political persecution “at inhuman levels” after elections

Caracas, Aug 10 (EFE).- The main opposition coalition in Venezuela, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), denounced this Saturday that a crisis has broken out in the country political persecution “at inhuman levels”, following the July 28 elections – whose official result confirmed the victory of President Nicolás Maduro – which anti-Chavez supporters view as fraudulent.

“In recent days, repression and political persecution have reached inhuman and critical levels, with dozens of teenagers and hundreds of women and men being kidnapped for expressing their desire for change and a better future,” the bloc warned through X.

The coalition thus referred to the More than 2,400 arrests which, according to the Executive, have taken place over the last 13 days in the context of post-election protests, as well as in police and military operations on public roads and searches for people in their homes.

The PUD, which claims that its candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, won the elections by a wide margin, welcomed the statement made on Friday by the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in which it called for the release of those who have been victims of “arbitrary detentions.”

“Following González Urrutia’s electoral victory, it is our duty to continue to raise our voices, and these types of statements are important contributions that help our democratic and peaceful cause,” added the bloc, which published “83.5% of the electoral records” to support its claim of fraud in the elections.

According to the NGO Foro Penal, which leads the defense of those considered political prisoners in the country, as of Saturday there are still 1,303 verified arrests, produced in the post-electoral situation, which includes 170 women, 116 adolescents, 14 indigenous people and 16 people with disabilities.

The protests were marked by acts of violence and vandalism, resulting in 24 civilian deaths – according to the NGO Provea – as well as two military personnel deaths and nearly a hundred security agents injured.

The National Electoral Council (CNE), which says it suffered a cyber attack on election day, has yet to publish disaggregated results confirming Maduro’s victory, a silence that has been questioned by numerous countries and organizations, including the Carter Center, which participated as an observer in the elections.

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