Venezuela opposition leaders call on international bodies to exert greater pressure against President Nicolas Maduro.

“Venezuelan people have done everything,” she declared, and had proven themselves victorious against tyranny by successfully competing under its rules… and winning and demonstrating that fact to others around them.” So if governments or global bodies want to look the other way, imagine where sovereign will and popular sovereignty would end up if allowed into Western societies! That would imply that elections have no value whatsoever. “Her comments came three days after Venezuela’s justice system – which is loyal to Maduro’s ruling party – issued an arrest warrant against former diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez who represented an opposition coalition at July 28’s elections. Even though National Electoral Council officials who supported Maduro had declared him victorious without ever disclosing vote tallies backing their claims. But an opposition coalition claimed that Gonzalez outshone Maduro by an overwhelming 2-to-1 margin and presented vote tallies from over 80% of electronic voting machines used during this election as evidence for this claim. Hours after receiving notification from electoral council that election had concluded thousands, including children, took to the streets across Venezuela demanding change and protesting what many saw as their ineptitude in conducting democratic processes. Protesters were mostly peaceful during these demonstrations; however, demonstrators toppled statues of former leader Hugo Chavez to show discontent; they threw rocks at law enforcement officers and buildings as well as burning police motorcycles and government propaganda materials. Maduro’s government responded forcefully by dispatching troops in response to demonstrations. Human Rights Watch released on Wednesday a report alleging state security forces and pro-regime gangs as being implicated in some of the 24 deaths that took place during protests. “They know no limits,” Machado warned reporters Thursday. On Tuesday, White House national security spokesman John Kirby issued an “unjustified arrest warrant” against Gonzalez as another example of Maduro’s attempts at maintaining power through force. Kirby noted the United States was exploring various avenues to demonstrate to Maduro and his allies that any actions taken against Venezuela will result in consequences. Under Biden administration, Venezuela’s government was granted various forms of relief from sanctions placed upon it by U.S. over time in an attempt to topple Maduro from power. Early this year, relief came to an end when Maduro’s government increased repression against members of the opposition, civil society and others they consider their adversaries. On Thursday afternoon, Attorney General Tarek William Saab, an ardent supporter of Maduro, issued the warrant because Gonzalez failed to show up three times to answer questions in connection with a criminal probe focused on publication online of election tally sheets obtained by opposition activists. Saab stated to reporters that this publication violates the National Electoral Council and claimed the opposition’s votes are falsified. Saab directed his remarks towards Gonzalez who shared this website on their social media networks; “You shared it and distributed the link publicly”, said Saab in reference to Gonzalez. “Explain why you shared it if it is false. “Saab’s assertion stands in stark contrast with experts from both the UN and Carter Center who, at Maduro’s invitation, monitored election results announced by electoral authorities but then found them untrustworthy. Their experts did not support opposition claims of victory by validating online voting records of opposition members; rather they noted they appeared to contain all security features required of voting records posted online by opposition factions.