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Uruguayan foreign minister hopes Venezuela holds peaceful elections
Maduro even made some worrying comments, Paganini recalled, saying there would be a “massacre” if they did not win.
A week before Venezuela’s election, Uruguayan Foreign Minister Omar Paganini insisted that “now is the time to defend democracy in the country” so that “the people can freely choose their own government.” He also called for a “peaceful” electoral process and a “transparent count” of votes. Afterwards, he hoped that all parties involved would accept the results of the election.
Paganini said the Uruguayan government was “very concerned” about the elections in Venezuela and stressed that “now is the moment” to defend the country’s democracy.
“Fortunately, there is growing concern in the region about this situation. Now is the time to defend Venezuelan democracy, and defending democracy means defending freedom, where people are free to choose their own government and its results will be respected,” the official noted.
“We see opposition figures being persecuted, undeservedly arrested and harassed. Yet the Venezuelan people have a chance for change, and the polls show it; the government still doesn’t understand that this is an opportunity for change and rotation of power, which is the foundation of democracy,” Paganini added.
The Uruguayan official continued: “It is time to try to have free and transparent elections in Venezuela, and despite some aggression that has taken place, we do not see the Uruguayan opposition criticizing this, and I think they should be on the side of democracy.”
Paganini also said Montevideo was concerned about comments by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who said there would be a “bloodbath” in Venezuela if he failed to win re-election, and criticized the Uruguayan opposition’s Broad Front for not condemning the political “harassment” taking place in Venezuela.
“Uruguay wants to help the Venezuelan people to return to full democracy,” Paganini stressed. “We see with concern that harassment and political persecution of the opposition continues, the regime continues to try to perpetuate itself, and even some very worrying statements by Maduro (Nicolas) about a ‘massacre’ if they do not win,” he also noted.
Paganini also pointed out: “We, like many other countries, have issued multiple statements calling for respect for public opinion and ensuring transparent elections.”
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