Venezuelan judge issues arrest warrant for Oppn's ex-presidential candidate

A Venezuelan judge on Monday issued an arrest warrant for the opposition's former presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzlez as part of a criminal investigation into the results of a disputed election.

The warrant was issued at the request of authorities who accuse Gonzlez, a former diplomat, of various crimes including conspiracy, falsifying documents and usurpation of powers. The warrant comes just over a month after election officials declared President Nicols Maduro the winner of an election that his opponents say he lost.

Authorities sought the warrant after Gonzlez failed to appear three times to answer questions from prosecutors in a criminal investigation stemming from the disputed election results.

Ruling party-loyal electoral authorities declared Maduro the victor of the July 28 election, hours after polls closed. They did not show any detailed results to back up their claim as they had offered in previous presidential elections.

The lack of transparency has drawn internation