- Daniel Noboa called on the Venezuelan government to cease hostilities against the opposition | Main photo: EFE
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa called on July 26 for the presidential elections in Venezuela to be held on July 28 to be held with “total transparency” and added that whoever loses should “retire from power.”
“It is imperative that these elections be carried out with complete transparency and freedom. The will of the people is sacred and those who are not favored at the polls must respect that mandate and step down from power. Venezuela deserves a free and fair election that reflects the true will of its people,” said Noboa.
The Ecuadorian president also called on the Venezuelan government to cease hostilities against the opposition to the government of President Nicolás Maduro, and to respect the results of these elections.
“Venezuela is on the threshold of a historic moment. It is essential that citizens have the opportunity to elect their leaders freely, without pressure and in a democratic environment, worthy of a people like the Venezuelan people,” he added.
Noboa recalled that democracy is the mechanism that allows citizens to participate in decisions that affect the lives of all those who live in a country, and therefore urged citizens to participate in these elections.
“The historical memory of a nation that has faced and overcome poverty and abandonment must be respected. These elections must be a manifestation of love and respect for the homeland, not a means to satisfy desires for power,” warned the president.
The Ecuadorian president’s statements came amid complaints from several former Latin American presidents who were expelled or denied entry to Venezuela when they wanted to participate as observers in the presidential elections of July 28.
Ban on entry to Venezuela against several former presidents
Since Friday, July 26, there have been multiple complaints from parliamentarians, former presidents and other politicians from the region who were not allowed to enter Venezuela to be present at the presidential elections on July 28.
The first case reported was that of several members of the Freedom and Democracy Group and the Democratic Initiative of Spain and the Americas (IDEA Group), who were traveling on a Copa Airlines plane bound for Venezuela.
The former presidents and vice presidents who were on the plane were:
– Mireya Moscoso, former president of Panama (1999-2004)
– Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, former president of Bolivia (2001-2002)
– Miguel Angel Rodriguez, former president of Costa Rica (1998-2002)
– Marta Lucía Ramírez, former Vice President of Colombia (2018-2022)
– Vicente Fox, former president of Mexico (2000-2006)
Former Bolivian President Jorge Quiroga said in a video posted on social media that the plane had been ordered not to take off from Panama unless the five former presidents got off the plane.
“We have been on this plane for an hour, and the tyrannical, abusive and authoritarian regime (referring to the Nicolás Maduro government) says that this flight, 223, cannot take off from Panama to Caracas until the former presidents and vice president (Marta Lucía) Ramírez get off. Not only that, but also a flight that is scheduled to leave from Caracas to Panama, 222, cannot take off without us getting off,” Quiroga said.
This information was confirmed by Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, who through his account on the social network X reported on the “blockage of Venezuelan airspace” for the Copa Airlines plane that was transporting the former presidents.
Former presidents Mireya Moscoso and Vicente Fox expressed their rejection of the measure adopted by the Venezuelan authorities and expressed their support for the country’s opposition. They said that this is an “arbitrary measure by the Nicolás Maduro regime.”
With information from EFE
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2024-07-28 07:14:04
