I have always followed the situation in Venezuela. Firstly, because I witnessed the days of the glorious popular and military rebellion that culminated in the overthrow of the dictator Marcos Pérez Jiménez.
Secondly, because I have seen with profound shame how the dictatorship of the Castro brothers has supported and continues to support the regime of Nicolas Maduro, smearing the epaulettes of our military in their torture centers with blood and advising the repression of that brave people.
Since Fidel Castro and his brother Raul took control of Venezuela, they have led that country to the same catastrophe that they led Cuba to. Our country and Venezuela became, together with Argentina, the three most advanced countries in Latin America. Look what we are today.
In just three weeks, on July 28, the elections They can save Venezuela from the mafia state into which they have turned that great nation in alliance with Cuba, Russia, Iran, China and transnational organized crime.
The armed forces must be prepared to enforce their constitutional commitment and not allow the current ruling mafia to get away with altering the election results or fabricating threats of foreign aggression to justify the suspension of the elections. Those politicians or military leaders who order them to shoot at their people are traitors to the Constitution, which mandates respect for the election results.
Venezuelan officers, classes and soldiers must not follow orders from foreign military forces or allow them to act against their people. Their weapons must be – today more than ever – at the service of the Venezuelan nation, of the people, not of Cuba, Russia, Iran, China or of those corrupt Venezuelan politicians and commanders who have handed over the country to them.
Maduro knows that he lost the elections to the opposition led by María Corina Machado and Edmundo González. That makes him even more dangerous. A man of little intelligence and submissive to Havana and its foreign allies, he could be tempted to make a serious mistake that would not save him from defeat, but would make the democratic transformation of the country more painful and costly.
Dictatorships are incapable of resisting for long a general uprising of the population supported by honorable military officers who refuse to obey tyranny. If in these circumstances the corrupt elite that oppresses the great Venezuelan nation chooses to entrench itself in violence, the results for the oppressors and even for their families will be devastating. Until now Maduro’s allies must finally understand that their time is up and it is better for them to agree to leave power through these elections and a non-violent democratic transition.
In these decisive days I remember that January 21, 1958 when throughout Caracas the church bells began to ring and cars intermittently honked their horns, creating an incredible euphoria that energized the most peaceful of citizens, urging them to take to the streets.
Everything indicates that “the bells will ring again” throughout the country and this time, just as happened a year after Venezuela was liberated, Cuba will follow your example and will also achieve its liberation.
General Rafael del Pino
Source: Announcement
