Andrés Velásquez: Maduro cannot remain in power riding on a huge lie
Opposition leader Andrés Velásquez said on Monday that Nicolás Maduro cannot remain in power “riding” on an “immense lie,” after the electoral body proclaimed the reelection of the presidenta victory that the largest opposition coalition, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), describes as “fraudulent”, considering that its standard-bearer, Edmundo González Urruita, won by a wide margin.
“Can Nicolás Maduro stay in power riding on this huge lie? In my opinion, no. Lies have a short flight, and if he decides to do so with blood and fire, with this horrendous repression that he has unleashed, I also predict that it will be a short flight,” Velásquez said in a video published on X.
In his opinion, “this crisis situation” has a solution by “stopping once and for all this repressive horror that has been unleashed against the entire Venezuelan population.”
He supports the idea of holding “serious and responsible talks for a transition of government on January 10,” when a new presidential term begins.
“We are all willing to start talks that will allow us to achieve this transition and immediately begin a plan for national unity and coexistence. This can perfectly overcome our crisis,” said the leader.
However, Maduro said on August 9 that the “only negotiation” with Machado is that she “surrender to justice,” after the former deputy and the anti-Chavez standard-bearer proposed rapprochements for a “peaceful” transition by insisting that the president did not win the presidential elections.
The PUD published on its website 83.5% of the electoral records that it claims prove the victory of its candidate, documents that the government considers “false” despite having been validated by the panel of UN experts, who were invited by the National Electoral Council (CNE) to participate in the elections.
Foreign governments have questioned Maduro’s victory and have requested the publication of disaggregated results, as required by law, and also of the electoral records, to clarify the questioned result provided by the CNE, which was validated by the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), which intervened at the request of the president.
Respect the result of July 28.
Respect the Constitution
Respect the citizens. pic.twitter.com/LiJo8snOz1— Andres Velasquez (@AndresVelasqz) September 2, 2024
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