By Félix Eduardo Gutiérrez on June 20, 2021
photo: Bill Hackwell
The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, considers that the sanctions imposed by the U.S. “are immoral and cruel for a country that is why I believe in a round table discussion”, said the head of state in an exclusive interview with international media.
The President denounced that the South American country is suffering an economic massacre perpetrated by the United States (US), which violates the human rights of Venezuelans.
“We faced four years of the Trump administration’s policy of aggressions and cruel sanctions that left damage to the Venezuelan economy. Trump left an irrational policy against Venezuela that has been questioned by Human Rights organizations. More than 80 percent of the Venezuelan population rejects the sanctions”, said President Maduro.
The Venezuelan President affirmed that despite the illegal blockade, the country is not isolated and has even strengthened its relations with its allies in the world, “the world is beyond the West, the 21st century is multipolar, we aspire to rebuild relations with the US elite, considering our relations with intellectuals and social movements in the United States are good”, he added.
The Head of State urged his counterpart in the US to stop demonizing the Bolivarian process, “hopefully we can find ways of respect and mutual benefit that allow us to regularize relations between both countries”, he added.
“For the moment there has not been any positive sign of rapprochement, the only different thing that could be heard are the spokespersons of the White House and the State Department seeking a dialogue in the country, but it is very timid because the sanctions are still intact”, clarified President Maduro.
Regarding possible rapprochements with former President Donald Trump, the President stated that he was close to initiating a dialogue, but advisors such as Bolton exerted unimaginable pressure, “the Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez was in Washington and met with people collaborating with Trump, but Trump’s method prevailed. I was about to meet in 2018 with Trump, but Bolton’s pressures prevented the meeting”, he pointed out.
“In 2019 and the end of his government in 2020, there were contacts in Mexico with then Minister of Communication Jorge Rodríguez, they claimed that if Trump won the elections he would change the policy towards Venezuela, he said Trump was bored with Juan Guaidó”, confirmed the head of state.
Electoral guarantees
Maduro reminded the media that, “In Venezuela there have been 26 elections in 20 years, out of those 26 we have won 24 and there has been international oversight and in many cases even from the Organization of American States (OAS), the former U.S. President Jimmy Carter stated that Venezuela’s electoral system is the most transparent in the world”.
The Venezuelan President emphasized that after the installation of the new National Assembly in the country, a process of pacification and understanding with all the political sectors has begun, “there is a negotiation with all the oppositions to expand the electoral guarantees for the mega-elections of November 21 (…) A good National Electoral Council was elected, and they have started off on the right foot to start the process.
The electoral guarantees to propitiate transparent and reliable mega-elections will be expanded according to the political negotiation that is being carried out with all political organizations”, explained the Head of State.
Regarding the international missions to monitor the national elections, the President reiterated that the rectors of the CNE are the ones who send the respective invitations, “anyone who wants to come will be welcome”, he clarified.
Source: Resumen Latinoamericano