Venezuela's opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who claims victory in the presidential election, announced on Wednesday that he will ignore Supreme Court summons regarding the contested results. Gonzalez Urrutia made these remarks after at least 24 people were killed in violent protests triggered by the election authorities' declaration of President Nicolas Maduro's re-election on July 28. The opposition asserts that Gonzalez Urrutia won, and several countries support their demand for the publication of election data.
"If I appear before the Supreme Court, I risk not only my liberty but, more crucially, the expressed will of the Venezuelan people on July 28," Gonzalez Urrutia stated on social media. Labeled a "criminal" by Maduro, Gonzalez Urrutia has not been publicly seen for over a week. The election authorities, considered loyal to Maduro, have not released the data from individual polling stations, citing a computer hack as the reason. Maduro has initiated proceedings at the Supreme Court—also viewed as loyal to him—to validate his declared victory, and authorities claim they have submitted the election data to the court.
"Is this a fair procedure that adheres to the law? Am I already judged?" Gonzalez Urrutia questioned, having been summoned to appear before the court on Wednesday morning.
