The dictator of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, asked this Saturday (20) that all politicians and candidates in local and regional elections on Sunday (21) respect the results of the polls.
“I ask with loyalty to all political leaders, party leaders and all candidates to respect the electoral results emanating from the sovereignty of the people and officially and legally issued by the National Electoral Council (CNE)”, he said at a meeting with special guests for the elections.
Maduro also urged Venezuelans to acknowledge the results of what he said was “the best electoral system in the world” and assured that he will go to the elections “with an oath of respect and loyalty” to the people, the Constitution and the CNE.
“I make a request from this meeting to all candidates: prepare to vote earlier,” he told the audience, which included, among others, Spanish politician Juan Carlos Monedero and former Colombian senator Piedad Córdoba, who applauded the speech.
During the speech, Maduro denounced that in 2019 “it was intended to have a duality of power” in Venezuela, referring to the self-proclamation of the then President of Parliament, Juan Guaidó, as interim president, a decision that had the support of several countries.
“In the era of (former American President Donald) Trump, a duality of presidential power was very strongly feigned, but as the days went by, everything got to where it had to go, to the truth. In Venezuela there is only one constitutional president”, he affirmed.
In the minister’s opinion, “a parliamentary duality” was also simulated after the 2020 legislative elections that led to the election of a new National Assembly (NA).
Guaidó and a small number of former deputies rejected those elections and maintain the meetings of a delegated commission, a figure used during very specific and short periods of the AN, as an extension of the previous Parliament.
Maduro did not mention that during the term of the previous AN, which had a large majority of the opposition, he requested a National Constituent Assembly composed only of Chavistas, which operated in parallel with the Parliament and which, in fact, took over a large part of the Legislative functions.
Taking this into account, he stated that the AN elected in 2020, and that it began working on January 5, 2021, “has its constitutional role” and, therefore, “has entered to designate public powers”, such as the CNE.
For this reason, he considered that those who registered for local and regional elections, as well as voters, recognized the new Parliament.
“Anyone who votes as a candidate (or) as an elector tomorrow, Sunday, with your participation, is supporting the CNE elected by the AN in force and chaired by Dr. Jorge Rodríguez”, he concluded.
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