[ad_1]
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa on Friday demanded “full transparency” in Venezuela’s elections on Sunday and expressed his concern that “entrenched figures of the old politics who want to remain in power, who want to keep this prosperous country” have been kidnapped and cut off from the world.
In a message published through social networks, Noboa also called on the ruling party to stop hostilities against the opposition to the government of President Nicolas Maduro and to respect the results of the elections held on Sunday.
“These elections must be conducted in a completely transparent and free manner. The will of the people is sacred, and those who are not popular in the elections must respect that mandate and step down from power. Venezuela deserves free and fair elections that reflect the true will of the Venezuelan people,” Noboa said.
«Venezuela is on the verge of a historic moment. It is vital that citizens have the opportunity to freely elect leaders in a pressure-free, democratic environment, worthy of a people like the Venezuelan people, ”he added.
The Ecuadorian president noted that “elections must be won with courage and a genuine commitment to the country, not through threats or coercion.”
“The historical memory of a country that faced and overcame poverty and abandonment must be respected. These elections must be a manifestation of love and respect for the country, not a means to satisfy the desire for power,” the president warned.
“Those who seek to cling to power against the will of the people seek to perpetuate authoritarianism, corruption, poverty and social and economic inequality, placing personal interests above the well-being of millions of their fellow citizens,” added Noboa, 36, who won Ecuador’s extraordinary election in 2023, becoming Latin America’s youngest head of state.
The Ecuadorian president recalled that democracy “is a mechanism that allows citizens to participate in the decisions that affect their lives, guaranteeing that their voices are heard and respected.” “This is the minimum that Venezuela deserves, and it is the minimum that our region deserves,” he added.
Maduro, in power since 2013, will face on Sunday Edmundo González Urrutia, a 74-year-old former diplomat who emerged as the opposition candidate after the disqualification of leader María Corina Machado and leads in voting intentions, according to the southern Tradition pollster.
Yet Chavismo is certain of Maduro’s victory, even though independent polls reflect the boredom of much of the population over the past decade’s deep economic crisis that has afflicted the country.
There are currently 477,000 Venezuelans living in Ecuador, part of the 7.7 million people who have left Venezuela in recent years, according to the Regional Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Venezuelan Refugees and Migrants (R4V), which is jointly led by UN High Commissioner for Refugees Alto (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
[ad_2]
Source link
