They denounce that the Maduro regime carried out 71 arbitrary arrests in 10 days of the electoral campaign in Venezuela

Total of 71 people were “arbitrarily” detained facing in the first ten days of the election campaign Presidential election on July 28 In Venezuela, according to the preliminary balance published this Monday NGO Peace Laboratory,

From 4 to 14 July, 66 men and 5 women were detained, most of them in Táchira state (west, bordering Colombia).

Of the total number of people arrested, 48 were “linked to the provision of goods and services for the campaign” of Edmundo González Urrutia, the candidate of the main opposition coalition – the Democratic Unity Platform (PUD), who had been involved in proselytizing events organized by Chavista opposition leader María Corina Machado.

The NGO, which also collects data from other organizations such as Foro Penal, Fundehulan and Espacio Público, also counts 26 cases of harassment, “at least 11 blockades on the streets to prevent actions”, 21 acts of reprisal for “providing goods and services to candidates” and 13 cases of “withholding property”.

Likewise, according to the balance, there were 20 cases of “violation of freedom of expression and information” and 4 “blocking of websites” during the first ten days of the campaign, which will end on July 25, as established by the Council National Electoral (CNE).

this Sunday, Perkins RochaThe legal adviser of González Urrutia’s team denounced the arrests last weekend of eight people linked to the candidate’s campaign – six men and two women – by security forces in four areas that were or will be visited in the framework of the PUD standard-bearer’s campaign.

Among the cases, the lawyer pointed out that, in Carabobo (north), the owner of the truck in which González Urrutia traveled with Machado during a caravan organized on Saturday was arrested, as well as two of his associates.

On Saturday, the agency… EFE The deployment of dozens of agents of the municipal police of Valencia, the capital of Carabobo, was confirmed, who closed the route on several streets of the city, including the one intended for the visit of opposition leaders, which was blocked by four official vans of the Police Protection Force.

In the upcoming elections, 10 candidates will compete, including current head of state Nicolás Maduro, who is seeking a third six-year term in power, which he reached in 2013.

On the other hand, González Urrutia met last Friday representatives of The Carter Center who will participate as observers Elections on July 28, A meeting of which no details were known.

10 men will compete through this, including Nicolas Maduro.

Neither the opposition candidate nor the Carter Center have published details of what was discussed at the meeting, held a day after the arrest of a businessman in the state of Tachira (West) who owns the property where he stayed – finally in June – opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who led mass events in that region.

According to the Attorney General imposed by the Chavista regime, Tarek William Saabthe arrest of businessman Ricardo Albacete Vidal took place for “theft of materials from the national electrical system”. In addition, Chavismo intelligence reports assure that the man received financing “from abroad to support the campaign of extreme right-wing neo-Nazis and movements to destabilize the country”.

The PUD – which supports González Urrutia – has denounced At least 18 cases of “harassment” and “persecution” by Chavista authorities during the electoral race, These include hotels and restaurants approved after serving Machado or a presidential candidate.

Likewise, many independent activists who provided certain services to the protesters, such as boatmen, motorcyclists, sound technicians and drivers, faced temporary detention, were banned from sailing or had their work equipment blocked under the government argument of a lack of documentation or records.

(With information from EFE)