Venezuela opposition leader Gonzalez to travel to Argentina ahead of planned Maduro inauguration

FILE PHOTO: Venezuela's former presidential candidate, who is temporarily exiled in Spain, EdmundoGonzalez attends a human rights event in Madrid, Spain, December 10, 2024. REUTERS/Juan Medina/File Photo

(Reuters) -Venezuela opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez, who says he resoundingly won a July presidential election but has been living in Spain after a warrant was issued for his arrest, said on Thursday he will travel toArgentina this weekend.

Gonzalez's "international tour" comes days ahead of the planned January 10 inauguration of President NicolasMaduro for his third term.

Gonzalez has repeatedly said he plans to return to Venezuela to be inaugurated as president, despite the pending warrant for alleged conspiracy and a $100,000 reward for information leading to his arrest announced earlier on Thursday by the Venezuelan police investigations unit.

Gonzalez will meet with Argentine President Javier Milei, who is involved in an escalating diplomatic spat withMaduro's government, at the presidential residence in Buenos Aires, Venezuela's top opposition group said on X.

Gonzalez shared the post, adding "our tour of Latin America begins. First stop: Argentina." It was unclear where else Gonzalez planned to travel.

Electoral authorities and the country's top court say Maduro won the July contest, but have not published full ballot box-level tallies of votes. 

Venezuela's opposition, a number of Western countries and some international organizations have decried the election as non-transparent and have called for the full publication of ballots, with some openly labeling the process fraudulent.

The opposition published ballot box-level tallies on a public website, saying they show Gonzalez, who leftVenezuela for Spain in October, easily won the contest.

Argentina's government said earlier on Thursday it had filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court against Venezuela for detaining a member of its security forces, calling it a "forced disappearance."

Venezuelan prosecutors say the man is being investigated for alleged links to terrorism.

(Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb)