Venezuela: María Corina Machado asks Gustavo Petro to attend the inauguration of Edmundo González

In Venezuela there is great expectation for what will happen next January 10, when the president elected at the polls on July 28 takes office, amidst the questions of Nicolás Maduro, who was proclaimed winner of the July elections by the National Electoral Council (CNE) – which has not yet published the disaggregated results, despite the fact that it was contemplated in the official schedule -, and the claim of the majority anti-Chavismo, grouped in the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), which denounces fraud and claims the victory of its candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia.

And while the ruling party organizes activities for “the swearing-in” of Nicolás Maduro, as announced by the executive vice president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, González Urrutia, exiled in Spain since September, assured that on January 10 he will be back in Caracas to sworn in as head of state. However, the Minister of the Interior and Justice, Diosdado Cabello, warned this Monday that he will be arrested if he sets foot in the neighboring country.

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The leader of the Venezuelan opposition María Corina Machado spoke about this panorama in an interview with Semana magazine. “We are still three weeks away from next January 10. There is a lot that is going to happen in Venezuela and what is already happening. We are determined, regardless of what Maduro does that day, that the destiny of our country is freedom and to enforce the mandate of July 28. That is what will happen before, during or after January 10,” said the opposition leader.

It should be noted that although the electoral body declared Maduro the winner, the opposition maintains its claim of victory, which it supports with 83.5% of the voting records that it claims to have compiled through witnesses and polling station members in all elections. states of the country, and which has been made public on a web page.

The minutes, in addition, have been presented in parliaments and institutions of various countries, and in organizations such as the Organization of American States (OAS), with the help of the Carter Center, which was an observer in the Venezuelan elections at the invitation of the CNE, considering it a reliable entity.

And although the voting documents published by anti-Chavismo served to many to support the claim of the opposition coalition, grouped in the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), the Government incessantly repeated that they are false minutes, a statement that it maintains, despite that the electoral body has not shown others nor has it made public the broken down results.

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The uncertainty is served, not so much by the doubts about who will be the one who will go to Parliament to swear the mandate, but by what may happen before, during and after the assumption of the Presidency, giving continuity to a 2024 that put Venezuela in the spotlight of the world.

“We are determined to do what corresponds to Venezuelans. In these hours, in Venezuela, the future of democracy and freedom in Latin America is at stake,” said Machado.

Message to the Colombian Government

During the interview, María Corina Machado stated that today the opposition has “doubts” about the position of President Gustavo Petro, who, until now, has not said whether he supports the re-election of Maduro or the election of González Urrutia at the polls, which In the opinion of the opponent, it complicates the margin of action to work with the Government of Colombia.

“(Before) we saw (an interlocution). Nowadays, the truth is that we have some doubts. That implies, in any case, always starting from the truth. In order to have some type of interlocution, there must be an understanding of those aspects that are incontrovertible. One of them, of course, is the truth, popular sovereignty and Venezuela’s decision to move towards freedom. If there is a country that is affected by the outcome and the moment of the outcome of this conflict, it is precisely. Colombia”, Machado said.

Also read: Nicolás Maduro’s regime reiterates that Edmundo González will be arrested if he sets foot in the country

For this reason, the opposition leader sent a message to President Gustavo Petro and urged the Colombian Government to give “demonstrations in accordance (…) of respect for popular sovereignty,” referring to González’s victory and recognize him as president-elect. from Venezuela.

FEDERICO PARRA/AFP

In that sense, when asked If she asks President Petro to attend the inauguration of Edmundo González, the leader responded affirmatively. “Absolutely. But it’s not what I ask of you, it’s what Venezuelans expect. What’s more, I’m sure it’s what Colombians themselves ask of you.”

The progress of the economy of a country hit by international sanctions, the increase or decrease in migration, foreign policy and diplomatic relations – aggravated by the current crisis – or the support of nations will depend on what happens in the coming weeks. with back-and-forth friendships, among other important issues for the future.