Claudia López Criticizes Gustavo Petro’s Silence on Venezuela’s Controversial Election Victory for Maduro

The former Bogotá leader has been critical of the management of the top leader of the Pacto Histórico – credit Mariano Vimos/Colprensa

Sunday, July 28, 2024, was marked by the controversial electoral day that took place in Venezuela, which declared dictator Nicolás Maduro as the “winner.”

Despite multiple reports in the hours leading up to the official announcement from the National Electoral Council suggesting victory for Edmundo González Urrutia, the opposition candidate, by evening, authorities proclaimed the representative of the official party as the winner, whose term began in 2013 after the death of Hugo Chávez Frías.

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The news was not well received by Venezuelans who longed for a change in leadership in their country, which would bring multiple advancements in political, economic, social, and other areas.

However, in Colombia, the attention has been mainly focused on the resounding silence of President Gustavo Petro, who has not reported on his social media, one of his main communication channels, following the controversial day in Venezuela.

The ‘victory’ of Nicolás Maduro generated chaos in Venezuela – credit Alexandre Meneghini/REUTERS

In response, one of the people who came out to express her dissatisfaction was former Bogotá mayor Claudia López, who, through her social media, revealed the “little play” of the top leader of the Pacto Histórico amid the tense public order situation occurring in the neighboring country.

It was through her X account that the Bogotá native lashed out at the head of state and his political party, the Pacto Histórico, emphasizing that for its members, the electoral system in Venezuela was “the best in the world.”

Subsequently, López explained that Gustavo Petro made a “carambola” by keeping silent about what happened in Venezuela, while also presenting the tax reform that began to take effect during his government.

“This is what the Pacto Histórico considers ‘the best electoral system in the world’ in Venezuela. Silently, Petro today made a carambola: keeping quiet about the fraud and dictatorship of Maduro while filing a $12 trillion tax reform as his government is stealing the taxes that Colombians have already paid! All while he travels through Paris pontificating about social justice and climate change.”

Claudia López again questioned Gustavo Petro’s silence regarding the electoral day in Venezuela – credit @ClaudiaLopez/X

The former mayor concluded her statement by asserting that Gustavo Petro’s day of silence represents a “day of cynical shame that is hard to overcome.”

And it is no wonder; the last message from the head of state on his profile remains one issued at 8:22 a.m. on Sunday, July 28, which was not related to what occurred in the neighboring territory.

In fact, at that time, the Colombian head of state highlighted the mention made by the director of the Administrative Department of the Presidency (Dapre), Laura Sarabia, regarding Colombia being the country that has seized the most cocaine in Latin America.

“The experience of the Colombian public force in seizing illegal merchandise is perhaps the greatest in the world today,” the ruler published, without a new announcement since then; which did not sit well with those expecting him to speak about the fraud suspicions in the elections. And, at the very least, he should have been the one to lead Colombia’s position on democratic guarantees.

This was the last message on X on Sunday, July 28 from President Gustavo Petro, unrelated to the elections in Venezuela – credit @petrogustavo/X

It is important to highlight that the former mayor of Bogotá had already posted a video on her social media urging Gustavo Petro to condemn the results of the electoral day in Venezuela, stressing that Nicolás Maduro heads a dictatorship in the neighboring country.

“There is no excuse @petrogustavo. Maduro has consummated the fraud and maintained the dictatorship, and has discarded all calls to publish the electoral records transparently. All democratic governments, starting with the Colombian one, must condemn the fraud and Maduro’s dictatorship in Venezuela and proceed to treat them as such in all scenarios,” López stated.