Venezuela Investigate Opposition Leaders Considered Instigating Police And Military

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro/PHOTO via Instagram @nicolasmaduro

JAKARTA - Venezuela is investigating the criminal charges of opposition leaders who took part in last month's election for inciting police and military officials to violate the law.

The announcement of the Attorney General Tarek Saab follows a letter posted on social network X by opposition candidateruno Gonzalez and leader Maria Corina Machado calling on security forces to "accompany with the people" and respect the election results they won.

President Nicolas Maduro's declaration of victory in the July 28 election sparked angry protests from Venezuelan people across the country over the past week. The anti-Maduro crowd demanded the president resign and acknowledged Gonzalez's victory.

Venezuelan security forces began targeting people suspected of being perpetrators of violent crimes during the protests.

Three advocacy groups told Reuters security forces arrested protesters, including minors, who they said were not accompanied by lawyers and in some cases accused of terrorism.

Maduro and other officials called the "knick-knock" a way to target those behind the violence in the protests, which they described as " fascist criminals."

"Operation knock-knock is the name given by certain government spokesmans, informally, for increased oppression," said Gonzalo Himiob, vice president of the legal advocacy group Foro Penal.

"It's called a knock-knock because it's a knock on the door that is received in the early hours of the morning," he said.