VENEZUELAN opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez has refused to appear before the Supreme Tribunal of Justice for a hearing related to an election audit requested by President Nicolas Maduro.

On Monday the court ordered Mr Gonzalez, who represented the main opposition parties, Mr Maduro and the other eight candidates in the July 28 presidential election to attend hearings due to run until Friday.

The National Electoral Council has declared Mr Maduro the winner, but the opposition claims to have collected records from more than 80 per cent of the 30,000 electronic voting machines showing that he lost.