Venezuelan opposition candidate Gonzalez will not appear before court

Opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez (Cristian Hernandez/AP)

Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez will not appear before the country’s high court for a hearing related to an election audit requested by President Nicolas Maduro, his campaign said.

Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice on Monday ordered Mr Gonzalez, the candidate of the opposition coalition, Mr Maduro and the other eight candidates in the July 28 presidential election to attend hearings scheduled until Friday.