The Venezuelan government has petitioned Interpol (Interpol), seeking the arrest of leading opposition figures abroad.

Justice Minister Tariq Saab announced on Monday that his office had requested the leopoldo lopezFormer mayor and leader of the People’s Volunteer Party.

Lopez lived in exile, fleeing to Spain in 2020 after six years in prison and house arrest.

Saab calls for Lopez’s arrest after he posted on social media supporting the former Colombian president’s recent comments Alvaro Uribe.

Uribe, a right wing president He served from 2002 to 2010 and held a press conference on the Colombian-Venezuela border on Saturday to urge the international community to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

“We call for international intervention, preferably with the support of the United Nations, to remove these tyrants from power and call for free elections immediately,” Uribe said in the border town of Cucuta.

Lopez responded to video clip of Uribe’s speech Social Media PlatformX same day.

He cited the disputed July presidential election as a sign that the opposition has exhausted all options to oust Maduro.

“After trying all avenues, including winning the election with 70 percent of the vote, we must seriously consider this proposal,” Lopez wrote. “I dare say that the vast majority of Venezuelans agree.”

Elections heighten tensions

sworn in third six-year term Maduro, a former bus driver, succeeded his political mentor Hugo Chavez as president in 2013 on Friday.

His government has long been accused of human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention and torture of perceived political opponents.

Review human rights records was improved During the 2024 election, leading candidates banned The match and its results were criticized lack of transparency.

National election authorities declared Maduro the winner hours after polling stations closed but did not provide the usual breakdown of votes, sparking skepticism.

In response, the opposition released copies of so-called official voting sheets showing its candidates, Edmundo Gonzalezwon by a big score.

Gonzalez himself since then exiledafter a Venezuelan court issued an arrest warrant in September. Ahead of Maduro’s inauguration, he returned to the Americas and visited countries that support his presidency, including Argentina and the United States.

Maduro has long Blame foreign powers He has sought to undermine his authority and has often dismissed protests against his government as the result of foreign plots.

“The people behind this plan are gringos,” Maduro said in a televised address after protests erupted after the latest presidential campaign.

Ultimately, the government estimated that 2,000 people were arrested in the post-election crackdown, and rights groups said 25 people were killed.

United States since increased its bounty Amounts range from $15 million to $25 million to obtain information that could lead to Maduro’s arrest. it realize Gonzalez becomes the legitimate winner of the 2024 election.

Meanwhile, Maduro announced that his government had arrested Last week foreign “mercenaries”, including Colombian and U.S. citizens.

a controversial arrest

Lopez, the leader of the Popular Volunteer Party, was originally detained in February 2014 under Maduro’s rule.

The government charged him with a range of crimes, including public incitement and conspiracy to commit arson, although some of the most extreme charges – including “terrorism” – were later dropped.

He was eventually sentenced to more than 13 years in prison. Amnesty International and other human rights organizations scold Proceedings may be ‘politically motivated’, UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention called for Lopez’s release.

In 2017, Lopez was transferred from Ramoved Prison to house arrest; in 2020, he was placed under house arrest. Escape to Spain.

Announcing the new charges on Monday, Justice Minister Saab told Venezuelan state television that he would seek to rearrest Lopez on charges of incitement to use weapons against the state, treason, conspiracy and criminal association.