Palmieri said that the US expects massive participation in Venezuela’s elections

The US government is closely following the presidential elections in Venezuela. “It is a very important opportunity,” said Francisco Palmieri, ambassador of Joe Biden’s government in Colombia and head of the US External Office for Venezuela.

The United States Ambassador to Venezuela said that “when we talk about democratic practice, the alternative is not to leave the country on the same path as the last six years.” In an interview with El Nacional, he stressed that he is impressed by the willingness of citizens to work as polling station observers. He described the recent arrests of opponents as “frustrating.”

“I hope that Venezuelans will participate massively in the presidential elections. Democracy is a gift and they should use it to express their hopes for the future,” he said.

Palmieri explained that although the situation surrounding the presidential elections is not what the international community expected, they can be competitive. He said that the democratic opposition has united around a common cause, something that many people had doubted.

She also wanted to pay tribute to those women who sold breakfast to María Corina Machado and her team during their visit to Calabozo, and who later suffered the attacks of the government, which temporarily closed their business. “I am going to have my empanada de libertad. It is a food that I like very much and that gives me hope for July 28,” she said.

“I see María Corina Machado in the campaign, Edmundo in the campaign, the political parties of the Unitary Platform supporting the process, and I see a civic spirit of the Venezuelan people to participate in this election. I think we are going to see a massive participation in the presidential elections because the Venezuelans themselves, from the right, left or center, want solutions to social, political and economic problems, and they know that this is the opportunity,” he explained.

Regarding international observation, he explained that there will be one in the country despite the expulsion of the European Union and after Colombia and Brazil decided not to send an electoral mission. “We trust that the Carter Center will be there. They have a lot of experience in Venezuela, they know the CNE and its system very well, so they can contribute to a better understanding of the election.”