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July 31, 2024 at 11:52 AM
July 31, 2024 at 11:52 AM
Jaime Aparicio, former Ambassador of Bolivia Before the Organization of American States (OAS)shared his views on the current situation in Venezuela in an exclusive interview with the show Influencers From EL DEBER RADIO. Connecting via Zoom from the United States, Aparicio analyzes the political landscape in Venezuela in detail.
– What is your comment on what happened on Sunday and what is currently happening in Venezuela?
What’s important is that the Venezuelan people have spoken. By this point, it’s clear that there is a democratically elected president; his name is Edmundo González Urrutia, and he won the election with more than 70%, which is to say, an undisputed victory.
There is a usurper (Nicolas Maduro) who has decided to stay and hold power in a decidedly irregular way, supported not by votes but by his militia, the army and parts of the police.
This is what really happened. Today (Wednesday), the Carter Center released a statement; they are the only one that can do any type of observation and said that this election was not transparent and any requirements for a transparent election were not met.
They demanded the delivery of the minutes, and that they be carried out in parallel with the “exit polls” that had already been carried out, all without regard to the elections, and together with the copies of the minutes obtained by the people of Maria Collina. .
Watch the full interview
Once again we are faced with a dictator who has decided to stay, like Ortega in Nicaragua, The people on the street have lost their fearEven though 12 people have died as of yesterday (Tuesday). But the difference is that the world has woken up to a very clear understanding of what is happening in Venezuela. Today (Wednesday) we will see the OAS foreign ministers explicitly ask Maduro to produce the minutes once and for all, but he will never produce the minutes because they know they have already lost this election.
In my opinion, this is the current situation. But despite condemnation and international pressure, Maduro is clearly unwilling to step back and admit defeat and hold new elections.
– What are the possible outcomes of the complex situation in Venezuela?
There is a combination of different elements. First, the international condemnation is very important, with the region and the world unanimously condemning the blatant fraud in Venezuela.
I think we are heading in that direction. For example, in South America, except for President Arce who does not know what is happening in Venezuela and supports Maduro, the rest of the countries have already recognized Edmundo González or are waiting for the Venezuelan government, Maduro, to introduce the minutes.
There must be international condemnation, the mobilization of the Venezuelan people in the streets, the combined efforts of the 70% of Venezuelan people who voted for González, who must take to the streets, and the key is the armed forces and the police.
Obviously the regime controls the commanders, the heads of the army, but the military order is breaking down. We are seeing statements from some non-military leadership, and I believe that ultimately, if people take to the streets, the military and police will have to decide whether to suppress, or to protect the people, which is their duty under the constitution.
I believe these three factors could change the situation in Venezuela. The worst case scenario is Nicaragua, Ortega, he launches repression, the military agrees to repression, but they are still a dictatorship, just like North Korea and Cuba, just like Nicaragua. I very much hope that Maduro will eventually leave the country.
– How do you explain the fact that Bolivia alone recognized Maduro’s victory in Venezuela?
This is complete nonsense because it shows that we have no foreign policy. We have a great weakness in understanding what is happening outside our borders and despite the disaster of the internal economic crisis, we are not aware of what is happening outside.
Venezuela is completely isolated. Chile, Colombia, the left-wing governments, Brazil itself, all waiting for something that was already obvious, told Maduro: “Please, we believe you won, but please submit the minutes.” You can’t declare an election winner without showing the voting records.
Instead of waiting a few days, claiming confidence that it could win, and expressing undeniable sympathy for Maduro, Bolivia took the only action, along with Honduras, Cuba, Nicaragua, and, apparently, Russia.
We are so bad that we are closing the door to the West, to the EU, to the United States, to Canada and to our neighbors. We must ask ourselves to what extent this support for Maduro masks an intention to do the same thing in 2025, which is neither a remote nor an unthinkable possibility.
– Is this the most critical moment for democracy in the Western Hemisphere?
Yes, because Venezuela will determine the direction of the political current that will dominate this new phase: the end of the populist cycle, or the transformation of populism into a dictatorship pure and simple.
The positive thing about this election is that Venezuela elected Edmundo González Urrutia, who would have been another dictator if Maduro had stayed. Bolivia no longer has any semblance of democracy, ostensibly a democratic country.
In the case of Venezuela, it’s going to be a dictatorship, it’s not going to be easy for Venezuela to maintain itself because people are angry, people are out of fear, and I think what’s happening in Venezuela these days is defining the direction of the region.
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