Leopoldo López proposes that Spain lead a coalition to confront Maduro

He Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lópezexiled in Madrid since 2020, considers that Spain should lead a coalition of democratic countries in Europe and Latin America to pressure the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduroand that there is a transition towards democracy in the country.

This was stated by Leopoldo López in an interview with EFE during the Web Summit in Lisbon, one of the largest technology fairs in the world, in which he spoke about the situation in the country after the elections last July.

—What do you think is going to happen next January 10?

—January 10 is the constitutional date on which inauguration takes place after the election. What we hope to happen, which has already been announced, is that Maduro materializes his coup d’état, he is going to materialize the fraud

That, of course, is contrary to the decision of 70% of Venezuelans who voted. What do we expect? We hope that this will be reversed with the recognition of Edmundo González as president-elect (…), because that is what the Venezuelans decided. I think this is very important to clarify because this is not a whim of one sector. That is, it is not that support is being asked for the Venezuelan opposition, no. It is for the people, for the Venezuelans. 70% of Venezuelans voted in favor of Edmundo González.

Here is the oppressor and the oppressed people. There is the tyrant and the people who mostly want democracy. And what do we expect from the United States, but also from Europe, from Spain, from Portugal, from all democratic countries? Let them support the Venezuelan people in our legitimate conviction that we have to move towards democracy, which means the departure of Nicolás Maduro.

What do we ask for that? Pressure on the dictatorship. And there are mechanisms that allow international law, that allow the different tools that countries have to pressure. For example, I believe that those responsible for committing fraud should be punished.

—What do they ask of the Spanish government?

—I believe that Spain should lead the countries of Europe, the countries of the region, in a common effort to pressure the dictatorship and force the way to this transition to democracy.

And sometimes there are those who seem to think that by simply sitting back and waiting, things will happen. No, things require a diplomatic push, they require leadership. And I insist, this is not a favor to Venezuelans, this is the defense not only of the vast majority of Venezuelans, but of democracy as a priority that Spain and European countries should have. I believe that Spain must consider the tools it has at its disposal for sanctions. I believe that the type of relationship that is maintained economically with energy companies in Spain and Venezuela should be put on the table.

That is to say, what we cannot do is have business as if nothing had happened, as if the page was turned and the issues continue without any consequences. Now, I think Spain should lead a coalition of democratic countries in Europe and the region.

—How can the victory of Republican Donald Trump in the US presidential elections influence Venezuela?

—What I hope is that the priority is respect for the will of Venezuelans in the election on July 28.

In the first Trump administration, the priority with respect to Venezuela was the transition to democracy. On this occasion, there is even greater clarity of what the decision of Venezuelans is after the election. In the last four years, the administration of (current US President Joe) Biden prioritized the energy issue and the immigration issue and put the issue of democracy, the commitment to democracy, in a distant third place.

I think it was a wrong approach because migration was not contained, even though they gave Maduro many incentives, they gave him oil licenses, they gave him recognition, stability… Nor did Venezuela become a stable, reliable source of energy and rather The conditions of violation of human rights and the dictatorship deepened. That is why I hope that the priority is the transition to democracy and there are many ways in which you can support this.

—Is the current situation comparable to what was experienced in 2020 with Juan Guaidó?

They are different moments. Both have a legitimacy of origin: Juan Guaidó with the National Assembly, which was won with two-thirds and the Constitution establishes that the president of the Assembly becomes acting president when he is not sworn in in the Assembly. In the case of Edmundo González it was a direct vote, he won with 70% of direct votes.

What we hope is that Edmundo González, with that clear vote that occurred in Venezuela, is sworn in as president of all Venezuelans and that in this way a transition can begin that still has many chapters left, but that the transition to democracy in Venezuela.