Chavismo’s number 2, Diosdado Cabello, first vice-president of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (Psuv), party of dictator Nicolás Maduro, responded aggressively to a comment by Colombia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luis Gilberto Murillo, who called for “a smooth transition” after the Venezuelan presidential elections on July 28.
On Wednesday (8), at an event in the United States, Murillo had spoken of a “new process that we are working on now”, which, according to him, “will guarantee a smooth transition after the elections”.
Cabello reacted aggressively, according to information from the website Efecto Cocuyo. “Take care of Colombia’s internal problems… why are you meddling in Venezuela’s internal affairs? This statement is very rude, it is hostile”, said the chavista.
“Who told you to declare this? Your president of Colombia or your president of the United States? For who you work? Who gives you the right to talk about the transition in Venezuela?”, Cabello added.
When reestablishing Colombia’s relations with Venezuela, in 2022, left-wing president Gustavo Petro began talks for political opening in the neighboring country, which culminated in the Barbados Accords, last year, through which Chavismo and the opposition committed to “free and fair” elections.
However, Maduro then disrespected the agreements, using Venezuelan institutions to block opposition names from elections and intensifying political persecution.
In April, Petro and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva spoke of the possibility of a plebiscite to guarantee “certainty and security about his life” for the losing candidate in the July election.
After the disqualification of María Corina Machado and the difficulties imposed by Chavismo in registering the candidacy of her replacement, Corina Yoris, Maduro’s main opponent will be Edmundo González Urrutia, candidate of the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD).
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