Chavismo and Venezuelan businessmen strengthen their relationship

The Venezuelan employer, Fedecámaras, organized its Annual Assembly on Tuesday with a particularly notable novelty: the presence of the Vice President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, as a special guest, and the development of a day in which reflections on mutual recognition and work in the interests of the nation.

It is the first time in 20 years that a high representative of the Chavista government participates in the event that brings together the executives of the main companies in the country.

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Rodríguez's presence in Fedecámaras - branded by Chavismo as a "parasitic bourgeoisie" - is the result of a surreptitious effort by politicians and businessmen from both sides to bring positions closer together and structure minimal agreements, rebuild the national economic fabric and consolidate the stability of the country.

This initiative, in full development, has its counterpart in the political field.

In the official field, the brothers Jorge and Delcy Rodríguez, and the vice president for the Economic Area, Tareck El Aissami, have been particularly active in the company.

On the side of the dissent, there are some political parties, the media and businessmen with a long tradition in the country, such as Alberto Vollmer, president of Ron Santa Teresa, and Horacio Velutini, of the Real Estate Securities Fund.

"This is the way: the participation of the private economic sectors to develop the high productive potentialities that Venezuela has," said Rodríguez, who focused most of his comments on placing international sanctions against the Nicolás Maduro regime as responsible for the collapse of the nation.

"It is important to delve into how the application of sanctions has affected the private sector," Rodríguez stressed.

"In just five years, we are the sixth country with the highest number of public, legal and private persons illegally sanctioned," added the vice president.

The statement did not prevent Rodríguez from expressing that "the businessmen of the world view those of Venezuela with envy."

Rodríguez made continuous references to the need to stabilize the country and publicly congratulated Cusanno and Vollmer - who was awarded on the day as "businessman of the year" - for having publicly expressed their intention to vote in the regional elections organized by the regime and that they are questioned by the political opposition.

For his part, the president of Fedecámaras, Ricardo Cusanno, expressed his concern about the future of relations with businessmen. "I would like us to cut the tension, we want to build solutions, we want to meet again," he said. “We had 20 years that we did not find ourselves in a scenario like this, with profound differences. But this is no accident

.

Two years ago we decided to regain our independence from any ideology, "he added. In his speech, Cusanno predicted that the intransigence of "radicals on both sides" would condemn any attempt at an agreement that puts the general interest first.

The attitude and tone of the business community in this event was harshly questioned by politicians and civilian opposition actors, and by many users of social networks, who interpreted a capitulation in the midst of a state of extreme need.

For more than 15 years, the governments of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro have been systematically harassing Venezuelan businessmen, expropriating their assets, limiting their markets to favor their international allies, occupying their spaces and holding them responsible for hyperinflation and shortage.

Hugo Chávez was the first to affirm, in 2010, that Fedecámaras had declared “economic war” on his government for not following his policies and not accepting the regulations on his earnings.

Isolate Popular Will

While Delcy Rodríguez was attending Fedecámaras, her brother Jorge, president of the Chavista legislature, was finishing the Days of Peace, Dialogue and Reconciliation with some opposition sectors present in parliament.

Jorge Rodríguez seeks consensus for the organization of the regional elections at the end of the year in exchange for some concessions, but on the terms of Chavismo.

At the same time, the Maduro regime toughens the siege against Popular Will, the party of Juan Guaidó and Leopoldo López, which is carrying out the reins of the political negotiation between the two forces with the intermediation of Norway.

The party is on the verge of being outlawed after the arrest of Freddy Guevara - months before, that of journalist Roland Carreño - and the accusations of five other of its national leaders.

The political conversations between Chavismo and position - based on the proposal of the National Salvation Agreement made by Juan Guaidó - and sponsored by the European Union, Canada and the United States, are currently on hold after the capture of Guevara.

The work on two fronts carried out by the Rodríguez brothers as Maduro bishops tends to corner and further weaken Juan Guaidó.

Voluntad Popular belongs to 6-4, or Gplus, an alliance that supports Juan Guaidó and groups together the most relevant opposition parties.

Juan Guaidó is not opposed to participating in the regional elections in November, even despite the objections made to the Chavista institutions.

Before the judicial measures and the threats from Miraflores, Voluntad Popular had evaluated the possibility of joining the electoral contest.

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