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Maduro's government flatly rejects postponing the December elections in Venezuela

2020-10-01T20:38:53.012Z


The European Union and the opposition leader Henrique Capriles demand a change in the calendar to achieve more guarantees


Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro during an appearance at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas in September.MARCELO GARCIA / AFP

The legislative elections set for December 6 in Venezuela have become the central axis of the country's political struggle, with repercussions on the internal balances of the opposition, in the clash between the president, Nicolás Maduro, and his rivals, and also on the international board.

The Government rejected this Thursday to postpone the call to be renewed by the National Assembly, dominated since 2015 by forces critical of Chavismo.

It did so after the European Union formally requested to hold them in the first semester of 2021, considering that the guarantees for a competition on parity of conditions are not given, for now.

Brussels thus declined the possibility of sending an observation mission and the opposition leader Henrique Capriles, who a month ago had been open to participate, also backed down and demanded to postpone the electoral process.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded through a statement that represents an amendment to all of Europe's proposals.

The Foreign Ministry describes the position of the Union as "biased", affirms that it "insists on ignoring the efforts made by the Venezuelan State" and considers it "regrettable" and "inadmissible" that it presented "a list of conditions".

With these premises, the Government, which in recent weeks had agreed to a series of gestures, some very relevant such as the release of a hundred prisoners and politically persecuted, ruled out moving the date of the elections.

“On December 6, in strict and due adherence to the provisions of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the twenty-fifth election in 20 years of the Bolivarian revolution will be carried out freely and sovereignly,” the statement, which, as usual, shakes the ghost of the external enemy.

“In this regard, the Venezuelan State will not admit interference or alleged external protection of any nature.

Consequently, Venezuela hopes that the European Union will maintain an attitude consistent with the principles that govern international law and limit itself to fulfilling a positive and respectful facilitating role ”.

These statements ratify the deep distrust towards Chavismo of the current leadership of the National Assembly, headed by Juan Guaidó.

The opposition leader and his followers rejected from the beginning to participate in those elections, which were scheduled for the end of this year, on the grounds of not giving them legitimacy.

This Thursday Parliament approved "an agreement to promote a popular consultation to hold free, fair and verifiable elections and reject fraud."

This referendum seeks to gather support for the international pressure mechanisms enforced by presidential elections and at the same time reiterate the rejection of the December appointment.

However, like all the initiatives promoted by Guaidó, its scope is eminently symbolic, since Maduro has not lost control of the state apparatus.

That was one of the reasons that led Capriles, who was Maduro's main rival in the 2013 elections, to make a move after spending years away from the front line.

The former governor of the Miranda State is very critical of the strategy of Guaidó, recognized as interim president by about 60 countries, since after almost two years the fight with Maduro has hardly had any effect.

The head of the legislature has trusted almost everything to international pressure and in September he even asked his supporters to go beyond diplomatic solutions.

That strategy included military actions such as the one that on April 30, 2019, resulted in the release of Leopoldo López from his house arrest.

But none met the objective of overthrowing the government.

And while the United States, which is about to hold elections, has maintained its usual rhetorical escalation and has intensified sanctions, the European Union has always been more open to medication.

“There is a possibility: move the election.

Why do not do it?

Because there is a political calculation.

Because it doesn't suit someone in the ruling party, ”Capriles said on Wednesday.

In addition to the health emergency of the coronavirus, the delegation of European diplomats sent to Caracas did not find the minimum guarantees to go to the polls, after the Supreme Court of Justice disqualified the main opposition candidates and beheaded some of the anti-Chavez forces with greater projection as First Justice, Democratic Action and Popular Will.

"Without a postponement and improvement of democratic and electoral conditions, the EU cannot consider sending an observation mission," concluded the European foreign service.

For the moment, the regime maintains its refusal to any change in the calendar and only has the complicity of a minority sector of the opposition that agrees to participate in the December parliamentary elections. However, Maduro, very isolated on the international map with the exception of his traditional allies such as Russia, China, Turkey and Iran, needs to maintain a channel of dialogue with Brussels. And the pressure for the Executive to postpone the elections has just begun.

Source: elparis

All news articles on 2020-10-01

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