US says turnout will be key for opposition to win in Venezuela

USA He said on Wednesday that participation will be a key factor for the opposition to win the presidential elections next Sunday in Venezuelaan election that, according to Washingtonthey assume “an opportunity“so that the country can return to the “democracy”.

“The key parameter will be voter turnout. Polls indicate a clear lead for the opposition. We hope that it will do well if its voters manage to vote.”said the State Department’s representative for Latin America, Brian Nichols, during a hearing in Congress.

Although Nichols acknowledged that there are “important evidence” Considering that the government of Nicolás Maduro has interfered in the elections with arrests of opponents and disqualification of candidates, such as opposition leader María Corina Machado, the diplomat considered that the elections are “an opportunity for a better future” in the country.

“The restoration of democracy in Venezuela remains at the heart of our foreign policy. We must prepare for the scenario in which Venezuela returns to a democratic regime in the future,” he claimed.

Nichols also explained that the United States is in contact with its partners in the region to address the situation in Venezuela, including Brazil, whose president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a long-time ally of Maduro, has criticized the Venezuelan president’s recent statements predicting a “bloodbath” if he loses the election.

Venezuela will hold presidential elections on Sunday in which the opposition, represented by candidate Edmundo González Urrutia – standard-bearer of the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) – will seek to overthrow the Chavista leadership.

Chavismo has governed the country since 1999 and aspires to keep the current president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, in power, who has occupied the presidential chair since 2013.

Today’s hearing was chaired by Republican Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar, who criticized the United States government for its lack of interest in Latin America: “Joe Biden has made it clear that Latin America is not a priority; he has not sent a single Special Envoy to deal with crises such as the migration crisis in Central America or the elections in Venezuela. lament.

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