González Urrutia calls on Maduro to “take the step now” to begin the “transition”

Opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia called on Nicolás Maduro on Monday to “take the step now” to begin “a peaceful transition,” for which the standard-bearer of the Democratic Unitary Platform said he was willing to engage in political dialogue.

In a video posted on social media, the leader of the main opposition bloc urged Maduro and his government to “step aside and take the step now to begin a peaceful transition,” following the presidential elections held on July 28, in which the coalition claims that its standard-bearer won.

González Urrutia, whom Maduro often calls a “coward,” also said that citizens remain “firm” in their demand that “the decision to change peacefully expressed” in the elections, whose official result gave victory to the Chavista leader, be recognized.

In his opinion, “every day” that the authorities “hinder the democratic transition, Venezuelans suffer a country in crisis and without freedom,” so he reiterated that “clinging to power only exacerbates the suffering” of citizens.

In this regard, he said that “the people are tired of so much abuse and corruption,” and accused Maduro of being “responsible for so much poverty and pain.”

“It is our time, the time of millions of Venezuelans who wish to give the best of our lives to rebuild our country. All of Venezuela demands that we make the necessary efforts to ensure that popular sovereignty is respected, and that is why I am willing to engage in political dialogue to begin the definitive democratic transformation of our nation,” he added.

The PUD bases González Urrutia’s “victory” on the “83.5% of the minutes” that it says it has collected thanks to people who were witnesses and members of the polling station during the election day, while Chavismo insists that they are “false.”