A human rights panel is calling on the Venezuelan government to respect civil liberties as the start of the president's term approaches.
Venezuelan Presidential Government Nicolas Maduro has announced a $100,000 reward for information on the whereabouts of opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez.
Thursday's announcement comes eight days before Maduro is to be sworn in for a third term, following a disputed presidential election in July.
In the months since the vote, Maduro's government has a arrest warrant for Gonzalez, his rival in the race.
“A $100,000 reward is being offered to anyone who provides information on his location,” the country's Scientific, Criminal and Forensic Investigations Agency said in an Instagram post on Thursday.
The post posted a photo of Gonzalez in the style of a “wanted” poster.
Maduro's government has said the president was involved in his re-election bid but has refused to release the usual breakdown of voter numbers that accompany elections.
At the same time, the opposition accused Maduro of election fraud and he said that González the winner was rightful. He released what appeared to be election records showing Gonzalez beating Maduro by a two-to-one margin.
Regional leaders have also cast doubt on Maduro's claims of victory, calling on the government to release voter data that could confirm the results.
The government has not yet done so, and Gonzalez left the country for Spain as a result of an arrest warrant in September.
He had previously said he would return at the start of the new presidential term, and on Thursday, the Argentine government said he was on his way to Buenos Aires.
Human rights groups and international organizations such as the United Nations have criticized the Maduro government for disciplinary actions both before and after the disputed election, including arbitrary arrests and torture. Almost 2,000 people were arrested after the elections, and 23 were killed.
With Maduro's third inauguration ceremony looming on January 10, a group of UN human rights experts appealed to Venezuelan authorities on Thursday to respect civil liberties, including the right to protest.
“We call strongly to the authorities so that the rights to show and express ourselves freely can be exercised without fear of reprisal,” said the president of the group, Marta Valinas, in a statement.
Maduro has become increasingly isolated after the disputed election and a harsh police crackdown on opposition-led protests. Even leftist allies in Brazil and Colombia have pushed for his government to release transparent results.
The ongoing dispute over the election has also strained relations with Argentina, which has since severed diplomatic ties with Venezuela.
Without formal diplomatic relations, Brazil has agreed to act as a caretaker for Argentina's embassy in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, where several opposition leaders have sought refuge. Argentina has again accused Venezuela of harassing those inside the walls of the embassy.
On Thursday, the far-right Argentine President's government Javier Miley has filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) accusing the Venezuelan government of the crime of “enforced disappearance” when a member of the Argentinian security services was arrested in December.
The Argentinian government says Nahuel Gallo, a member of its gendarmerie, entered Venezuela to see family members.
Venezuelan prosecutors, however, say he is being investigated for possible links to groups that want to carry out “terrorist” activities in the country.
