Maduro unleashed “this persecution to generate terror”

The ConVzla command in Guárico urged citizens this Tuesday “to redouble their efforts” after the persecution against Franco Gerratana and Luis Pinto, mayors and campaign directors of María Corina Machado and Edmundo González in the Ortiz and El Socorro municipalities, respectively.

Through a statement, the state campaign command denounced that Franco Gerratana was unconstitutionally stripped of his mayoralty last Monday and an arrest warrant was issued.

Meanwhile, Luis Pinto, under duress, recorded a 20-second video, which has been circulating on social networks since Monday, in which he declared himself “independent” and expressed his support “for President Nicolás Maduro.”

The ConVzla campaign command highlighted that other members of the command in those and other municipalities of the state have also suffered persecution and harassment. Pointing out that this responds to the same pattern of persecution against every citizen who has expressed their support for the libertarian cause.

In addition, he expressed solidarity with Gerratana and Pinto, to whom they reiterated their trust and support. And they expressed their support for their relatives, who “have suffered psychological damage from this persecution.”

«The regime, through various national, state and municipal actors, has unleashed this persecution to generate terror, without taking into account that this libertarian feat does not depend on Franco and Luis. This feat depends on the will of the thousands of citizens who have decided that on July 28 our candidate Edmundo González will be our new president and thus continue the transition to democracy, which has already begun and is unstoppable,” they highlight in the statement.

Ortiz Case

They denounced that this July 15, the President of the Municipal Chamber of Ortiz, dominated by the ruling party, “took possession of the mayor’s office, a position that corresponds to Franco Gerratana by popular election.”

“This attack was part of a series of pressure and blackmail on Franco throughout his administration, in which he was denied minimal resources to do his local executive work,” they added.

They explained that “the persecution increased after the historic street activity on Av. Bolívar de Ortiz, led by our leader, María Corina Machado, in which Franco participated as municipal campaign director on June 20.”

“Eight days later, on June 28, a commission from the state’s Scientific, Criminal and Criminal Investigations Corps (Cicpc) arrived at the mayor’s office to arrest Franco, without any court order,” however this fact was prevented by hundreds of citizens who came to the office to protect the mayor.

El Socorro Case

This July 15, a 20-second video circulated on social networks in which Luis Pinto, mayor of the El Socorro municipality, declares himself “independent” and expresses his support “for President Nicolás Maduro Moros.”

Given this, they assured that from the moment he took office as mayor, “Luis Pinto has been subjected to all kinds of pressure and blackmail. The harassment increased after, on June 19, María Corina Machado led a tour never seen before in El Socorro, which ended with a rally on Bolívar Street in the town.

«From that day, the threats to him and his family intensified; until this Monday, July 15, under duress, he recorded the video that is circulating today on social networks and that we all know does not correspond to his libertarian character,” they indicated.

Redouble efforts

In this sense, they asked that 12 days before July 28, all Guariqueños – and particularly Orticeños and Socorreños – redouble their efforts, together with the ConVzla campaign command, so that “all the shock and indignation that these persecutions have generated, be converted into votes and an overwhelming victory.

«The freedom and transformation of Venezuela, which we have fought for and desired so much, are in our hands. Let’s keep moving forward and overcoming obstacles. We have assumed, as a society, this cause that is in defense of our lives and that is until the end,” they concluded.