With or without president, Venezuela is a powder keg. With or without minutes, Venezuela is a shaker of tension, fear, repression and desire for change about to overflow. But it was not this Friday, a day labeled as criticism and which turned out to be less eventful than anticipated.
This January 10th presented many unknowns and only one certainty, which has come to pass to no one’s surprise. , while the opposition has reappeared with a video asking to wait for “their moment” to “assume the Presidency”, as Edmundo González promised. A moment that will be “very soon”… but not today.
Maduro has opened a chaotic day called to be a prominent chapter in the chaotic recent history of Venezuela. No records, no evidence that endorse his supposed electoral victory, without significant international representation beyond his partners… but with all the pageantry and self-granted “mandate of the people”.
The heir of Hugo Chávez has stuck out his chest before the leadership of Chavismo that has packed the Elliptical Hall of the Federal Palace to continue his long speech to inaugurate a legislature that could extend until 2031.
At times bombastic, at times absolutely disjointed, but always filled with desire to self-legitimize as plenipotentiary representative of Venezuela. A kind of unbreakable pillar before all kinds of external threats led by the American “imperialism” so common in their rhetoric.
Nicolás Maduro’s lavish staging has also arrived with haste. Because it has his act was brought forward about two hours of swearing-in, in anticipation of a more than difficult day throughout the country and especially for take the first step before the opposition give yours.
Anti-Chavismo figures had warned about it, but at the last minute they put the brakes on his plans. , has confessed to having order herself Edmundo González not coming yet to Caracas, until the “adequate conditions” are met because “its integrity is fundamental for the final defeat of the regime.”
I am very close to Venezuela. I am ready for safe entry and at the right moment I will assert the votes that represent the recovery of our democracy
Message from Edmundo Gonzále
Hours later, the opposition candidate himself, for many the winner of the 28-J elections, claimed his legitimacy, asking for time, yes. From the Dominican Republic, the end of his international recognition tour, he has promised to be “working on the conditions” for a return that will be “very soon.”
And whenever it is, he assures, “I will assume the Presidency” with the mandate of the millions of votes and support of Venezuelans. For now it has given order to the military leadership to prepare his “safe return” and ignore the orders of Maduro and his apparatus.
There is no date. The opposition plans have been temporarily put on hold after Thursday’s show of force. Also A low profile has been maintained on the streets. in demonstrations much less numerous (and noisy) than those on Thursday.
Then “hundreds of thousands of anti-Chavista Venezuelans” populated the about 180 gears affirmed by Machado, while Maduro’s supporters took to the streets in a much more moderate way.
Those same streets will once again be the epicenter of tension in a matter of days, if not hours. The powder keg of Venezuela lives umpteenth critical chapter in a sea of unknowns where the only thing that was known to happen has happened. Self-proclaimed Mature A new horizon opens, with the possible reply of Edmundo González, who for the moment prefers to wait for those “adequate conditions.”
