Smolansky asks Canada to recognize Edmundo González

Edmund Gonzalez with status of elected president of Venezuela. That was the request David Smolansky, former mayor of El Hatillo, made this Wednesday before the Parliament of Canada.

The former commissioner of the Organization of American States (OAS) denounced the obstacles in the electoral process from its beginning and cited as an example the disqualification of the opposition leader Maria Corina Machado when he tried to apply.

He highlighted the strategy with which the opposition obtained evidence of what it considers “a fraud,” and denounced the repression against opponents after the election was awarded to Nicolás Maduro.

Featured quotes from David Smolansky’s speech

• “This action (recognizing Edmundo González) would respect the decision of millions of Venezuelans.”
• “María Corina Machado was illegally disqualified by the dictatorship.”
• “The extensive fraud orchestrated by the Electoral Council and the Supreme Court of the regime was exposed.”
• “We won and we have shown it. The regime knows it and so does the international community.”
• “They have murdered 27 people and carried out more than 2,000 illegal arrests.”
• “Among those detained there are at least 107 adolescents and 216 women.”
• “There are numerous reports of brutal torture, in what the regime has called the ‘Tun Tun’ operation.”

What is Canada’s position on Venezuela?

The government of Canada does not recognize Maduro as the winner of the July 28 elections. On September 16, he demanded from the Chavista administration “recognize true results.”

He requested that the political transition process begin in Venezuela. “Launch the transition process in recognition of the true results of the elections,” the Canadian Embassy published in Caracas.