2024-07-31 13:53:49
Angry public sentiment takes to the streets… Concerns over bloodshed
Statue of ‘leftist godfather’ Chavez toppled
Expulsion of diplomats from 7 countries for “interference in internal affairs”
US hints at additional sanctions… Xiu: “Congratulations on your victory”
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is embroiled in a controversy over election fraud, has criticized the opposition as a “bunch of far-right totalitarians (fascists).” He also mentioned the possibility of a harsh crackdown, saying raising suspicions of election fraud is no different from a “coup d’état.” He also announced his intention to continue his “reign of terror” by expelling diplomats from seven Central and South American countries, including Argentina and Chile, who raised suspicions of election fraud.
Throughout Venezuela, citizens continued to protest against the election results. Some citizens tore down Maduro’s campaign posters. The protesters also tore down a statue of former President Hugo Chavez, Maduro’s political mentor and also considered the “godfather of anti-American, leftist leaders in Latin America.”
The opposition supporters have decided to hold a large-scale anti-government protest at 11:00 AM on the 30th (0:00 AM on the 31st, Korean time). The United States, which supports the opposition, has warned that it may impose additional sanctions on Venezuela.
● Maduro: “Opposition is ‘Guaido 2.0’… Expulsion of diplomats from 7 countries
At a press conference on the 29th, President Maduro claimed that opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia and former National Assembly President Maria Corina Machado, who supports him, are the “Guaido 2.0” force. He was comparing them to former National Assembly President Juan Guaido, another opposition leader who declared himself “interim president” with the support of about 50 countries, including the United States, from immediately after the 2018 presidential election, which was also suspected of electoral fraud, until 2022. Guaido fled to the United States last year after the interim government collapsed due to opposition divisions.
On the same day, Maduro’s close associate, Foreign Minister Ivan Hill, also announced that he would expel diplomats from seven countries, including Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay, saying, “We strongly reject the interference of the right-wing government group that adheres to fascism and is dependent on the United States.”
This is because these countries claim that raising suspicions of election fraud constitutes interference in internal affairs. In particular, Chile has been talking about a “right-wing government” even though the left-leaning President Gabriel Boric is in power. Panama, Peru, and others have responded by saying they will expel Venezuelan diplomats stationed in their countries. Panama has even said it is considering severing diplomatic ties.
Protests against the fraudulent elections continued throughout Venezuela. According to the Guardian, protesters toppled at least three statues of former President Chavez on the 29th alone. Some have described the scene as being similar to the toppling of statues of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Another protester tore down and stomped on President Maduro’s campaign posters.
Many citizens took to the Latin American tradition of banging pots and pans to protest, while others blocked major roads in the capital, Caracas, and attempted to occupy the international airport.
The Maduro regime has also declared a strong crackdown, raising concerns of bloodshed. According to AFP and other news agencies, the local human rights group ForoPanel reported that at least one person died and 46 people were arrested in the northwestern state of Yaracuy alone during the protests.
● US “additional sanctions” vs China “congratulations on Maduro’s third term”
According to Bloomberg and others on the 29th, a senior official in the Joe Biden administration said, “We will decide on the future US sanctions policy against Venezuela depending on whether the Maduro regime transparently discloses the results of the presidential election.” This effectively suggests additional sanctions against Venezuela.
The United States has banned imports of Venezuelan crude oil and frozen its assets since 2017, when Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump took office. Last year, the Biden administration eased the sanctions on the condition that this year’s presidential election be held fairly, but it has expressed its intention to strengthen them again.
On the other hand, according to China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency and other sources on the 30th, President Xi Jinping called President Maduro and congratulated him on his victory in the presidential election. President Xi targeted the United States, saying, “I support Venezuela’s cause of opposing external interference.”
China is interested in strengthening cooperation with countries in Latin America, America’s front yard, where anti-American, left-wing leaders are in power. The intention is to expand China’s influence in Latin America and reduce American influence.
Reporter Kim Bo-ra [email protected]
Beijing = Correspondent Kim Chul-jung [email protected]
2024-07-31 13:53:49