[ad_1]
The opposition leader Henrique Capriles, who faced Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro in presidential elections, acknowledged being behind the recent releases of political prisoners, as the TIME had advanced on Monday.
The rumors and accusations started last Friday, with the presence of Capriles in the residence where the family of deputy Juan Requesens lives, at the time of his release.
(Read also: The insurmountable fracture of the Venezuelan opposition)
But they intensified on Tuesday afternoon with the release of a statement by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, picked up by a means of Turkey, who said that in the framework of his recent visit to Venezuela, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, in addition to holding a meeting with Maduro and other representatives of the regime, he had met with Capriles and also the opposition leader Stalin González.
“Today by my ‘personal efforts’ we feel satisfied with the freedom of 110 political prisoners“, Capriles trilled, on Tuesday night, to respond to a harsh statement issued shortly before by the side of the opposition leader Juan Guaidó in which they expressed their” absolute ignorance “of the” unconsulted negotiations “carried out” in a personal capacity ”, By Capriles and González.
Earlier, Cavusoglu had stated, via Twitter, that he was following “With satisfaction” the evolution of a “positive dialogue” between the parties in Venezuela, due to their efforts in coordination with the European Union.
“Talking and negotiating are not the same (…). There are no negotiations between Turkey and the opposition in Venezuela. What is appropriate is to speak with anyone who brings us closer to a credible solution (…). Talking to a member of the international community is normal when you believe in politics and democracy”Capriles added, while showing an image in which Presidents Donald Trump and Recep Tayyip Erdogan are seen shaking hands.
There are those who end up becoming what they criticize. Talking and negotiating are not the same, unless you want to manipulate and lie.
There is no negotiation between Turkey and the opposition in Venezuela. What is appropriate is to speak with everyone who brings us closer to a CREDIBLE solution.– Henrique Capriles R. (@hcapriles) September 2, 2020
Turkey is one of the main allies of the Maduro regime. Relations between the two countries became closer in 2016, when Venezuela supported Erdogan after the coup attempt in July of that year.
Since then, they have signed agreements in different areas, such as energy, industrial, financial, tourism and security. More recently, Turkey sent several shipments of supplies to combat covid-19.
Since 2018, the National Assembly (AN), the only power in the hands of the opposition, has denounced that Maduro sells tons of gold belonging to international reserves to Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, without prior authorization from Parliament.
(You may be interested in: The pardon, Maduro’s cunning move ahead of the elections)
“These actions were carried out without the knowledge or authorization of the interim Government, the AN, our international allies, or of the unitary agreement reached and announced by 27 political organizations,” the Guaidó side insisted in its statement on purpose. that Capriles and González’s conversations with the Turkish emissary became known.
Capriles, who claimed to have the interest of “Defend Venezuelans and achieve the freedom of Venezuela”He said he would meet “with everyone who is necessary to get Venezuelans out of this crisis,” including Chinese and Russians, other allies of the regime.
González’s reaction took a little longer, but on Wednesday morning he said he would try, as many times as necessary, to find a solution to the crisis. “If a negotiation prevents this conflict from escalating and being more painful for Venezuelans, I will do it as many times as appropriate”, trilled who has been a member of opposition groups in previous negotiation processes.
EL TIEMPO has tried since Monday, without success, to talk about this with Capriles and González.
The third way
Capriles had already dissociated himself from the position of the majority opposition, which, however, his party, Primero Justicia, subscribes.
The political scientist Maryhen Jiménez had told EL TIEMPO, in a conversation about the fractures of the opposition that became evident after the disagreement between Guaidó and María Corina Machado, that Capriles was taking his own path, although risky, “In the sense that it will have a lot of criticism from outside.”
“I believe that Capriles is betting on building a new path, perhaps in the medium and long term, understanding that the characteristics that Maduro’s authoritarian regime has adopted are very difficult to dismantle when, one, you do not have an organized population around an inclusive narrative, and when international pressure has changed and will continue to change because we are in the context of a pandemic and all countries are rather looking inward to see how they solve their problems“Jiménez said in his conversation with this newspaper.
(Read also: ‘They use political prisoners as a token of extortion and exchange’)
Capriles has not hidden his position. In a statement published on August 23, he declared himself in favor of participation in the controversial elections of December 6, an option that the majority opposition, organized around the figure of Guaidó, has categorically ruled out, considering in advance that it It is about a fraud, and also the most radical wing of the opposition, represented by Machado.
“Are we going to indulge his (the regime’s) intention to snatch out of the game? Are we going to hit the same stone again?”Capriles asked in a statement made public through his social networks on August 23.
“An electoral event can always become a mobilizing event that allows the country to rediscover the path of politics,” he added.
The political analyst Félix Seijas highlighted in conversation with this newspaper, regarding the announcement of the pardon, that, by separating the United States, the majority of the international community moves in favor of settling differences through negotiations and free elections.
This Tuesday, Maduro himself confirmed what so many analysts like him suspected: that the pardons sought to promote participation in the elections.
“The participation of an opposing factor that no one can question, such as a comfortable opposition, or to the measure, but natural opponents like Capriles Radonski, Bringing it closer to the electoral game is an important step in sending those signals to the international community”Seijas told EL TIEMPO.
(Read here: The US sanctions the attorney general of the International Criminal Court)
Beyond the new leading role that he has acquired, with more critics than followers, in this new opportunity, Capriles, for the moment, could not participate as a candidate because he is politically disabled.
However, among the things that Seijas expects for the next few days, which will surely continue to be moved, is also the lifting of the disqualifications that weigh on him and other important leaders. These are claims that the opposition has demanded in dialogue processes with the regime and that they would pay for Maduro’s express purpose of promoting participation in these elections.
The majority opposition extended during this week the process of consultations with different organizations in order to build a unitary pact, as an alternative to not participating in elections, and which would contemplate holding a plebiscite. Machado’s side, for its part, remains firm in its commitment to an operation from abroad. Both rule out going to elections.
ANDREÍNA ITRIAGO
TIME CORRESPONDENT
CARACAS
[ad_2]
