(Bloomberg) — Lawmakers in Venezuela have ousted a member of the national election council who declared irregularities surrounding President Nicolás Maduro’s re-election in July and urged prosecutors to immediately launch a criminal investigation into him.
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The government-controlled National Assembly appointed Conrado Pérez to replace Juan Carlos Delpino, meaning four of the five members of the board will now be allies of Maduro ahead of regional and parliamentary elections next year.
Delpino, 65, broke his silence in late August after fleeing the country, denying a so-called hack that delayed results and denouncing a “lack of transparency” in the widely disputed election.
“You have come this far,” Assembly Leader Jorge Rodriguez said during the parliamentary session, calling Delpino a “criminal and a traitor.”
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Edmundo González, a presidential candidate in the July elections, presented detailed evidence from a majority of polling stations showing that he emerged victorious with almost 70% of the vote. He fled to Spain last month, saying he was only allowed to leave after being forced to sign a letter recognizing Maduro as the winner.
(Updates with Delpino comments in fifth paragraph.)
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