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Juan Guaidó, Venezuelan opposition leader
“The lifting of any pressure measure, if it is not oriented towards democratization, would only strengthen authoritarianism,” he says.
“The lifting of any pressure measure, if it is not oriented towards democratization, would only strengthen authoritarianism,” he says.
The cabinet headed in Venezuela by opposition leader Juan Guaidó has warned that any lifting of sanctions once morest the government of Nicolás Maduro must be conditional on democratic advances, understanding that putting energy criteria first may end up serving to finance the “dictatorship”.
Guaidó’s team has broken this Wednesday the silence that it had been maintaining since the weekend, when a high-level delegation from the United States held two meetings with the Maduro government and with representatives of the opposition, including Guaidó himself.
Faced with speculation regarding a possible relaxation of US punishments so that the South American country can increase its oil production, the opposition cabinet has stressed that “any lifting of sanctions must be conditioned on real progress towards the transition to democracy and freedom from Venezuela”.
“The lifting of any pressure measure, if it is not oriented towards democratization, would only strengthen the authoritarianism that threatens the world today,” the opposition bloc pointed out in its statement, in which it has avoided directly alluding to the dilemma it would now have over the table the Administration of Joe Biden.
For the opposition, “only a Venezuela with democratic, institutional and transparent guarantees can be a reliable and efficient energy provider for the world.” Otherwise, he has warned, it will be “unfeasible” for logistical and corruption reasons and, in addition, “a dictatorship accused of crimes once morest humanity would be financed and strengthened.”
Guaidó’s cabinet has thanked the United States for the support it has given, extending to the National Assembly elected at the end of 2015 and to the Unitary Platform that brings together the main parties opposed to Maduro. The United States would continue to be “the main international ally,” says the note.
In this sense, the opposition places Washington in the same boat when demanding “a negotiation process with guarantees” with Chavismo. He hopes to resume this process “as soon as possible”, which is “more urgent than ever”, with a view to holding new “free” presidential and parliamentary elections.
“Venezuela needs an urgent agreement that allows solutions to the crisis to be achieved and to return to being a country that has a positive impact on the region and the world,” he added.
RELEASE OF PRISONERS
The White House has acknowledged that energy security was one of the issues discussed in the talks with the Maduro government, in which the situation of several Americans imprisoned in Venezuela was also discussed. On Tuesday, Venezuelan authorities released two of these inmates.
Guaidó’s cabinet has expressed its “approval” for the releases, recalling, however, that there are more than 200 “political prisoners” and that they “should not spend even a minute further away from their families.” “Only in a truly free and democratic country can we guarantee that there is not a single prisoner for political reasons,” he added.