CARACAS – Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González will not appear before the country’s high court Wednesday for a hearing related to an election audit requested by President Nicolás Maduro, his campaign said.
Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice on Monday ordered González, who represented the main opposition parties, Maduro and the other eight candidates in the July 28 presidential election to attend hearings scheduled through Friday.
The hearings follow days of global criticism of Maduro and his loyal National Electoral Council over the election results. Electoral authorities declared Maduro the winner but have yet to produce voting tallies. Meanwhile, the opposition claims to have collected records from more than 80% of the 30,000 electronic voting machines nationwide showing he lost.
González was first on the list, but in a statement posted on social media, he questioned the legality of the proceedings and expressed serious concerns over his safety.
“I will put at risk not only my freedom …