Briefing

Legitimizing Opposition Leadership

Carlos Ocariz proposed on Monday a process to legitimize all the opposition leaders in order to strengthen the opposition coalition. Roberto Picón assured his role is to obtain the necessary conditions for an election and “recover Venezuelans’ right to choose”.

Naky Soto
  • Primero Justicia’s Carlos Ocariz proposed on Monday a process to legitimize all the opposition leaders in order to strengthen the opposition coalition. 
    • Ocariz warned of an “unacceptable” crisis in the political representation which explains the citizens’ disinterest and he hoped this process would strengthen unity and a reunion with the population. 
    • He thinks that internal pressure to achieve free elections begins with a mobilization proposed by the leaders and those leaders must be recognized by citizens. 
    • Ocariz hopes his proposal will be debated by opposition parties. 
  • On Monday, Juan Guaidó proposed creating an “Alliance of Democratic Fronts” that will fight against authoritarian regimes in the world, during his intervention in the Copenhagen Annual Democracy Summit. “As the world joins forces to seek peace, it’s time to seek freedom. Democracy is at risk, we had it for many years in our country and we lost it,” he said. 
    • He called on the Responsibility To Protect (R2P), considering the ICC’s investigation on crimes against humanity being committed in Venezuela. Guaidó said that Venezuelans remain firm in their fight for free and fair elections. 
  • Newly appointed CNE rector Roberto Picón assured his role is “to fight a good fight” to obtain the necessary conditions for an election and “recover Venezuelans’ right to choose”. He said that “producing trust through knowledge and making proposals” was his responsibility. 
    • He thinks that the regime has to recover “recognition and institutionality” and that the country must walk away from confrontation in order to “start a process reverting all measures that have been taken in the last years.” 
    • He said that he’ll be an active player in all instances of the National Electoral Junta and he reiterated that the solution to the crisis will stem from an electoral solution and that citizens must actively participate in order to achieve their goals. 
  • EU Foreign ministers consider that the new CNE board “is one step out of many” that the country will have to give in order to hold elections that can be considered democratic by the international community, said Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha González Laya, in the name of her European peers. 
  • The director of NGO FundaRedes Javier Tarazona published a letter allegedly issued by FARC dissidents where they admit to having kidnapped eight Venezuelan military officers under the “war prisoner” figure and they ask the Red Cross to activate protocols to coordinate their release. The letter is signed by “Estado Mayor Décimo Frente Martín Villa”, and they mention that the officers have been kidnapped since April 23rd. 
    • The Red Cross confirmed knowing about the letter, but because of the neutrality principle, won’t make statements on the matter. 
    • Even though the FARC is using the Red Cross as an intermediary, that isn’t their role. 
    • FundaRedes reiterated that officers Dany Vásquez y Abraham Belisario are still missing. 
  • Maduro’s vice minister Endes Palencia said that the Cuadrantes de Paz app allows for faster communication with citizens and can “develop the State’s transformation to consolidate territories.” 
  • The UN Industrial Development Organization reported launching the “Industrial Strengthening and Modernizing Program” for Venezuela in order to upgrade the value chains of some food products. 
  • The president of Zulia’s Doctors Guild Daniela Parra assured that “hospitals are completely collapsed”, in their infrastructure as well as in terms of qualified personnel. 
    • She included standard deficiencies in the electricity and water supply, which in turn damages the available equipment. She also said that there aren’t enough supplies or medicine and that patients must bring their own in order to get medical attention. 
  • Venezuela still doesn’t have a vaccination plan. 
  • Spanish Secretary of Foreign Affairs Cristina Gallach highlighted that their policy on Venezuela “is accompanying not supervising” and it’s Venezuelans who must find a way out of the political crisis. 

Naky Soto

Naky gets called Naibet at home and at the bank. She coordinates training programs for an NGO. She collects moments and turns them into words. She has more stories than freckles.

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