Mexico, Brazil and Colombia hold talks with opposition and government officials, but clarify that they are not mediators
▲ Vladimir Padrino, Venezuelan Minister of Defense (center), rejected yesterday, in a press conference, the so-called desperate and seditious of the opposition to put themselves on the side of the people.Photo Afp/Defense of Venezuela
Reuters, AFP and AP
The newspaper La Jornada
Wednesday, August 7, 2024, p. 25
Caracay. The Venezuelan Armed Forces ratified yesterday its absolute loyalty President Nicolás Maduro, and described desperate and seditious opposition calls for support amid unsubstantiated allegations of fraud in the July 28 election, while the United States praised contacts between Mexico, Brazil and Colombia with both sides in Venezuela, and refused to offer details or say whether it is in talks with the Bolivarian government.
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado denounced a campaign of terror after the prosecutor’s office opened an investigation against her and her candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, on charges of incitement to insurrectionafter having published an open letter to the military and police the day before yesterday in which they defended, without presenting evidence, their victory in the elections and asked the uniformed officers to put themselves in on the side of the people.
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino called the document pamphlet and requests for support from “desperate and seditious people.
These fatuous and irrational calls seek to undermine our unity and institutionality, but they will never succeed.Padrino stressed, accompanied by the high military and police command.
We ratify our absolute loyalty to citizen Nicolás Maduro Moros, legitimately re-elected by the people’s power for the presidential period 2025-2031added Padrino.
Senior citizens marched in Caracas in defense of peace and in support of Maduro, local newspaper reported Last Newswhile the training ship Smolnyof the Russian Navy, anchored in the port of La Guaira, coming from Cuba, in what Venezuelan diplomacy described as working visit.
The United States insisted on its support for González. The numbers speak for themselvessaid Mark Wells, acting assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs at the State Department, and stated: The real result of the elections is clear and the world can see it. Edmundo González obtained the majority of the votes.
In a call with reporters, he said that Washington is in favor of dialogue driven by Mexico, Colombia and Brazil.
Several journalists asked him to clarify whether the United States had declared González president-elect. We are convinced that he obtained the majority of votes on July 28. This represents the will and preferences of the Venezuelan people.he said, without directly answering the question that was asked of him on numerous occasions.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the United States is working closely with regional and international partners in the wake of the Venezuelan election. This is a very important moment for democracy in our hemisphere.he said at a press conference.
In all this, a high-ranking Mexican official confirmed to AP that Mexico, Brazil and Colombia maintain conversations with the Venezuelan opposition and the government, but assured that it is not a mediation formal because none of the parties requested it, and added that the three countries recommended that the government and opposition follow their laws.
The European Union called for an end to what it called campaign of judicial intimidation in the South American country.