Venezuela opposition urges army to take ‘side of the people’

CARACAS: Venezuelan opposition leaders Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia and Maria Corina Machado on Monday asked the military and police officers to “take the side of the people” after the disputed reelection of Nicolas Maduro.

The opposition alleges Gonzalez Urrutia was the rightful victor of the presidential election on July 28 that has plunged the oil-rich nation into political crisis. Multiple countries, including the United States and Argentina, have recognized Gonzalez Urrutia as the winner, while others, such as the European Union, have stopped short of doing so, while calling for full publication of voting records.

The contested election sparked protests last week that left at least 11 civilians dead, according to rights groups. “We appeal to the conscience of soldiers and police officers to take the side of the people and their own families,” the opposition said in a statement in which they offered “guarantees to those who fulfill their constitutional duty” in a possible “new government.” The statement, which Gonzalez Urrutia signed as “president-elect,” also urges the security forces to halt the “repression” of opposition protests. The government has reported the deaths of two soldiers in the clashes.

The statement said that top commanders were “aligned with Maduro and his vile interests, while you are represented by the people who went out to vote... whose will was expressed on July 28, and you know it.”