González Urrutia: “brute force” and “hate speech” will not stop “a transition”

Edmundo González Urrutia said on Sunday that neither “brute force” nor “hate speech” will stop “a peaceful transition” in Venezuela, after authorities reported the arrest of more than 2,400 people and the death of 25 during post-election protests, unleashed against the official result of the presidential election, which granted reelection to Nicolás Maduro.

“Despite threats and repression, Venezuelans demand respect for their will. Brute force and hate speech will not stop our decision to begin a peaceful transition,” González Urrutia said on the social network X.

The opposition leader also praised the fact that Venezuelans mobilized this Saturday to defend what they consider their victory in the presidential elections, in which the largest anti-Chavez coalition gathered “83.5%” of the electoral records that – they insist – show this victory, something that the Government considers to be false documents.

“To all the Venezuelans who have mobilized in every neighborhood, village and city raising their voices, I send my message and my words of encouragement. Only by uniting will we achieve respect for the will expressed by more than 7 million people on July 28,” said González Urrutia.

This Saturday, the opposition leader criticized the fact that the Maduro government, instead of “democratically preparing for a peaceful transition,” has decided to “persecut, arrest and assassinate” Venezuelans who “have only demanded that their majority will be respected.”

Maduro, for his part, has blamed González Urrutia for the deaths recorded during the protests, as well as for the “criminal violence” and “destruction” of public places, schools and other sites in this context.