The Human Rights Watch has called on the Venezuelan government to respect human rights as the presidential term approaches.
Government of the President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro has announced a $100,000 reward for information on the whereabouts of ousted opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez.
Thursday's announcement comes eight days before Maduro is sworn in for a third term, following a presidential election in July.
In the months since the vote, Maduro's government has released to be arrested to Gonzalez, his opponent in the tournament.
“A reward of $100,000 is offered to anyone who can provide information on his whereabouts,” the country's Science, Criminal and Forensic Investigations Agency said in an Instagram post on Thursday.
The article created a picture of Gonzalez in the style of a “wanted” cartoon.
Maduro's government claimed the president had won his election but refused to release the results of the post-election polls.
The opposition blamed Maduro election fraud and he said that González he was a worthy winner. It released what appeared to be election tallies showing Gonzalez beating Maduro by a two-to-one margin.
Regional leaders also questioned Maduro's claims of victory, asking the government to release voting data that would confirm the results.
The government did not do this, and Gonzalez left the country of Spain after the September arrest warrant.
He has already said that he will return at the beginning of the new presidential term, and on Thursday, the Argentine government said that he is on his way to Buenos Aires.
Human rights groups and international organizations such as the United Nations have criticized Maduro's government oppressive activities both before and after the contested election, including arbitrary arrests and torture. About 2,000 people were arrested after the elections, and 23 were killed.
With Maduro's third inauguration looming on January 10, a group of UN human rights experts called on Venezuelan officials on Thursday to respect human rights, including the right to protest.
“We call on the authorities to ensure that the right to freedom of expression and expression is exercised without fear of reprisals,” the group's president, Marta Valinas, said in a statement.
Maduro has been isolating himself after disputed elections and police brutality during opposition-led protests. Even his leftist allies in Brazil and Colombia have pressured his government to produce transparent results.
The ongoing dispute over the election has also strained relations with Argentina, which has severed ties with Venezuela.
In the absence of official ties, Brazil has agreed to host the Argentine embassy in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, where several opposition leaders have found shelter. Argentina has repeatedly accused Venezuela of torturing those inside the embassy walls.
On Thursday, the government of Argentina's right-wing president Javier Miley filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) accusing the Venezuelan government of “lack of coercion” over the arrest of a member of the Argentine security forces in December.
The Argentine government says that Nahuel Gallo, a member of his group, crossed into Venezuela to see relatives.
Venezuelan dissidents, however, say they are being investigated for links to “terrorist” groups in the country.