Versión Español
EspañolDialogue has picked back up between Venezuela’s dictatorship and the political opposition, but some say the wrong people are doing the negotiating, and for the wrong reasons.
President Nicolás Maduro’s regime and sectors of the political coalition known as the Democratic Unity Roundtable, or MUD by its Spanish acronym, have been trying to reach a middle ground with the regime for several years. This most recent attempt, however, has some members of MUD up in arms.
The Vente Venezuela party said that those participating on behalf of MUD are favoring the regime over the opposition’s cause. She and other members of MUD said they suspect Maduro is trying to establish some stability before 2018 as economic pressure intensifies amid mounting sanctions from the United States, Canada and the European Union.
“Vente Venezuela has argued that the only dialogue worth having would be to negotiate the ruling party’s removal from power,” a statement from the party said. “We want a representative negotiation of the democratic forces and the dissidence of Chavismo that will save Venezuelan society from further suffering.”
This is the fourth time that the opposition has tried to sit down with the Maduro regime in the Dominican Republic. There were speculations and suspicions from both sides at the beginning of the dialogue, but it wasn’t until this Thursday that President of the National Assembly Julio Borges joined Foreign Policy Commissioner Luis Florido in announcing a meeting.
Vente Venezuela Party leader María Corina Machado insisted the process is a “false dialogue,” because the regime has nothing to offer except deception. “This time, he wants to dupe the National Assembly, which he does not recognize, offering to negotiate a new National Electoral Council without losing control and without altering the system of abuses, fraud, advantages and violations,” the party’s statement said.
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“It offers recognition of the National Assembly and to change the faces of the (National Electoral Council) in exchange for approving the criminal external debt and legitimizing the restructuring of the debt and, above all, to legitimize the National Constituent Assembly,” the statement said.
Other voices speak out
The party of Antonio Ledezma, known as Alianza Bravo Pueblo (ABP), said it does not support the dialogues either. Deputy Richard Blanco, tweeted: “They insist on making decisions without consulting! For how long will they abuse a people who are tired of lies? Up to what point will they play ahead without establishing any rules and without respecting the opinions of others?”
Insisten en tomar decisiones sin consultar! Hasta cuándo abusan de un pueblo cansado de mentiras? Hasta cuándo jugarán adelantado sin hablar de reglas y sin respetar la opinión de otros? Sepan bien, aquí TODOS somos necesarios. No nos prestamos a esos juegos! #RespetoAlPueblo pic.twitter.com/BHH7kUkZ73
— Dip.Richard Blanco (@RichardBlancoOf) November 9, 2017
Soy Venezuela, the opposition alliance trying to serve as an alternative to the MUD, has also raised its voice in a communique “We insist that dialogues with the dictatorship at this time do not correspond to the nation’s interests, or the purpose of restoring democracy or respect for the constitution.”
A la comunidad internacional: alertamos que un inmediato diálogo con la dictadura no se corresponde con el interés nacional ni el propósito de regresar a la democracia y al respeto del orden constitucional. #9Nov pic.twitter.com/Dwq6beyOZL
— Soy Venezuela (@SoyVenezuela) November 9, 2017
Despite past betrayals and arbitrary decisions, the official opposition continues to sit down with the dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. They insist that conditions are different now, because there are new mediators.
