MIAMI.- free electionsor at least “acceptable”, and transition These are terms that strain tempers within the Nicolás Maduro regime and cause quarrels to increase with those who, until now, have been his main allies.
This Wednesday, May 9, the number two of Chavismo, God given hairstrongly attacked the Colombian Foreign Minister, Luis Gilberto Murillo, who, following the line of the leftist president Gustavo Petrowas in favor of free elections and a “peaceful transition” to Venezuela.
During his speech at the 54th Conference of the Council of the Americas (COA), held in Washington, Murillo indicated that Colombia hopes that the presidential elections in the neighboring country, scheduled for July 28, will be fair, competitive and freeor that, at least, are “acceptable”.
For this reason, he continued, they have held conversations “through diplomatic channels” with different factors of Venezuelan political life, mainly, the regime and the Venezuelan democratic opposition, currently led by María Corina Machado.
Guarantees and transition
The Colombian foreign minister stated that during the last year and a half he has held meetings with leaders of the Venezuelan opposition exiled in Washington, with whom they have evaluated the possibility of signing an agreement that would provide “some kind of safeguard or guarantee” for after the presidential elections.
This, he mentioned, with the aim that all those involved can “freely participate” in the presidential elections, knowing that they will have, after the electoral process, “all the guarantees to continue having a very dynamic democratic process”.
Murillo maintained that there would be an “agreement in this regard”, from which the Petro proposal emerges, discussed on April 18 with his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, to hold a plebiscite that would allow a “democratic pact”through which the loser of the presidential elections has “certainty and security about his life and political guarantees.”
“The idea, or at least President Petro’s proposal, is to see if this can be ratified in a referendum. That is the new process we are working on now, which will ensure a smooth transition (in Venezuela) after the elections,” he stated.
“Unfriendly” statements
The Colombian Foreign Minister’s statements generated an immediate response from Diosdado Cabello, vice president of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). During his program “With the hammer giving”, broadcast on state television, he called “rude” and “unfriendly” the statements of Murillo, whom he accuses of being a “North American official”, serving “his masters” in the United States.
“Who sent you to declare that? Your president of Colombia or your president of the United States? Who do you work for? Who gives you the right to talk about transition in Venezuela? Here the only transition that is coming is the transition to socialism. There is no other transition”, he stressed.
Cabello thus ruled out the idea of transition and also stated that the ruling leadership is not willing to hand over power or “capitulate.” “They (the US and Colombia) talk here with the opponents: ‘no, Chavismo is willing to a transition, and they want to deliver.’ Do we want to deliver? Do we want to deliver? We are willing to capitulate“, held.
He stated that Murillo was “designated” by the US government to “operate” in its favor. “Tell me, who have you talked to about the transition, Chancellor? “Speak in full (…) With a revolutionary you did not talk about that, nor has he ever been on the agenda,” he noted.
“Take care of Colombia’s internal affairswhich has problems that screw up, even (quite a few), so that you are getting involved in the internal affairs of Venezuela,” he replied.
Chavista quarrels with allies
The obstacles that the Maduro regime has placed on the opposition in the face of the presidential elections have not gone unnoticed by their allies in the regionwho have expressed their concern and demanded conditions for the Venezuelan electoral process.
Unexpectedly for many, both Petro and Lula, two of the most faithful allies of Chavismo, expressed strong criticism of Maduro after the regime prevented on March 25 the nomination of Corina Yoris, championed in the first instance by Machado, due to political disqualification. which prevents him from running for elected office.
These statements generated the first impasse between the Chavista dictatorship and the left-wing countries of the region. Maduro was the first to react on March 26, calling “cowardly left” to these governments and accuse them of being “complicit” in the alleged attempted attacks that they have reported since the beginning of the year.
Two days later, on March 29, Jorge Rodríguez, president of the 2020 Parliament and head of the Chavismo negotiating delegation, attacked Petro, Lula and the former Uruguayan president, José “Pepe” Mujica.
The Chavista representative questioned the information that the dignitaries have about the alleged “insurrectional and assassination” plans of the opposition. “Ignorance? Ignorance? Fear? We don’t get involved in anyone’s business. Put your opinions wherever they fit,” he stated.
Source: With information from Monitoreamos / Infobae / AlbertoNews / AFP
