Venezuelan Opposition Leader Says Son-In-Law Has Been Kidnapped | rssama.com

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Self-exiled Venezuelan guidance leader Edmundo González, who claims to person defeated President Nicolás Maduro successful past year’s statesmanlike election, said his son-in-law was kidnapped Tuesday successful Venezuela’s capital.

González, who was walking successful nan United States, said Rafael Tudares was kidnapped while connected his measurement to driblet disconnected González’s 2 grandchildren astatine schoolhouse successful Caracas.

In a station connected X, González said “hooded men, dressed successful black” intercepted nan conveyance and loaded Tudares “into a gold-colored van.”

He did not opportunity what happened to his 6- and 7-year-old grandchildren.

Self-exiled Venezuelan guidance leader Edmundo González, who said his son-in-law was kidnapped Tuesday successful Venezuela's capital.

via Associated Press

The kidnapping happened contempt a important summation successful constabulary and subject beingness since New Year’s Day crossed Caracas up of Friday’s swearing-in ceremonial for Maduro, who nan authorities says won a 3rd word successful nan July election.

The government’s centralized property agency did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

González, a retired diplomat, represented Venezuela’s Unitary Platform guidance conjugation successful nan statesmanlike election, which he and Maduro some declare to person won. The level successful a connection characterized Tudares’ kidnapping arsenic a “forced disappearance for governmental reasons.”

“We request nan contiguous merchandise of Rafael Tudares and each governmental prisoners, who are hostages of a authorities that knows it is rejected by nan immense mostly of Venezuelans who said pinch nan unit of nan ballot (on July 28),” nan conjugation said successful nan statement.

González near Venezuela for exile successful Spain successful September aft a judge issued a warrant for his apprehension successful relationship pinch an election-related investigation. In caller weeks, he has vowed to return to his homeland to return nan oath of office.

González, 75, is touring nan Americas to effort to rally support for his effort to get Maduro retired of agency by Friday. That’s when, by law, nan South American country’s adjacent statesmanlike word begins. On Monday, González met pinch U.S. President Joe Biden astatine nan White House arsenic good arsenic pinch U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s designate to beryllium his nationalist information advisor erstwhile he is sworn successful connected Jan. 20.

González, who has been recognized by respective governments including nan U.S. arsenic Venezuela’s president-elect, has not explained really he plans to return to nan troubled state aliases wrest powerfulness from Maduro, whose ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela controls each aspects of government.

González had ne'er tally for agency earlier July. The Unitary Platform conjugation selected him successful April arsenic a last-minute stand-in for guidance powerhouse María Corina Machado, who was blocked by nan Maduro-controlled Supreme Tribunal of Justice from moving for immoderate office.

Machado past week urged supporters to show crossed Venezuela connected Thursday, telling them successful a video connection that Maduro will not measurement down connected his ain and they “must make him leave.” Maduro has asked his supporters to show Friday.

But it is unclear whether anyone will heed calls to caput to nan streets pinch nan accrued information presence.

On Tuesday, contempt being nan first time of schoolhouse aft nan holidays, children were obscurity to beryllium seen during greeting unreserved hr successful Caracas, and immoderate schools remained closed.

“There is tension. As soon arsenic nighttime falls, nan metropolis is for illustration a shade town,” Caracas resident Mari Jimenez said. “We do not consciousness assured seeing truthful galore police.”

Hours aft announcing his son-in-law’s kidnapping, González said he was continuing his multi-country circuit pinch a extremity successful Panama.

Kidnappings were commonplace successful Venezuela astatine nan extremity of past and opening of this century, erstwhile criminals targeted nan able and a thriving mediate class. But that type of crime decreased successful caller years, arsenic nan country’s system came undone and Venezuelans began to emigrate.

Recently, group person associated kidnappings pinch nan authorities believe of detaining its existent aliases perceived opponents without pursuing nan law. They are seen arsenic portion of a run to repress anti-government protests that collapsed retired aft nan predetermination results were announced.

Electoral authorities successful July declared Maduro nan victor hours aft polls closed, but dissimilar successful erstwhile statesmanlike elections, they did not supply elaborate ballot counts. However, the guidance collected tally sheets from much than 80% of nan nation’s physics voting machines, posted them online and said they showed González had won nan predetermination pinch doubly arsenic galore votes arsenic Maduro.

The Secretary General of nan Organization of American States, Luis Almagro, who met pinch González connected Monday successful Washington, joined nan calls for Tudares’ contiguous release. In a station connected X, he said Tudares’ business is “a caller and unacceptable enactment of governmental pressure” against González, whom “the world organization certified arsenic nan victor of nan July elections, thing that nan authorities continues to neglect to refute pinch evidence.”

Meanwhile, Machado denounced that agents had surrounded her mother’s house, group up roadblocks passim nan vicinity and flown drones successful nan area.

“Maduro and company, you person nary limits successful your evil,” she posted connected X. “Cowards.”

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