A march in defense of Chavismo. Photo: Archive.
Diosdado Cabello, the vice president of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), expressed disbelief that the Venezuelan opposition, after having requested sanctions be placed upon the country, would label Venezuelan citizens who were outraged by their actions as “violent.”
Taking to his social media accounts, Cabello criticized the hypocrisy of those who had advocated for invasion; invoked the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (TIAR), a treaty imposed on the region by the US during the Cold War with functionality similar to that of NATO; and resorted to burning people alive, only to now brand those who voice their grievances and express discontent towards their local leaders as “violent.”
“Incredible: those who have called for invasion, invoked the TIAR, burned people alive, paid mercenaries, tried to assassinate the president, [and] called for blockades and sanctions against their own country are now the ones calling violent those outraged by those actions,” wrote the PSUV leader. “Nosotros venceremos!!” he added, which roughly translates to “We will overcome!”
#NoTeVistasQueNoVas, fin de mundo: los q piden invasión, invocaron el tiar, queman personas vivas, pagan mercenarios, intentaron asesinar al Presidente, piden bloqueos, sanciones contra su país, ahora llaman violentos a quienes les reclaman esas acciones. Nosotros Venceremos!!
— Diosdado Cabello R (@dcabellor) July 15, 2023
His criticism comes in response to opposition leader María Corina Machado’s claim that violent groups attempted to attack her during her recent tours. This move appears to be a noticeable provocation aimed at garnering media coverage amidst an opposition primary campaign that seems to be lacking momentum.
On Saturday, July 15, a group of individuals expressed their disapproval of opposition primary candidate María Corina Machado’s visit to the working-class neighborhood of Petare in Caracas. Petare is predominantly supportive of the Chavista movement, where right-wing opposition leaders have historically faced unwelcome receptions.
Residents awaited Machado’s arrival, holding banners that read “Fuera” (Get out) and “Vende Patria” (homeland sell-outs). They also voiced their opposition to the Vente Venezuela politician’s role as the primary proponent of a military invasion of Venezuela.
Venezuela: María Corina Machado Not Welcome in La Guaira State
As a result, the opposition leader was unable to carry out her tour of Petare as she had to quickly retreat to her SUV and leave the area soon after arriving.
A similar rejection of her presence was observed on Friday in the state of La Guaira, another predominantly Chavista region where the local population made it clear that she was unwelcome.
Upon her arrival in a motorcade in La Guaira, a group of individuals started throwing objects at the vehicles carrying the opposition candidate.
Toward the end of her tour in La Guaira, the far-right candidate encountered another group of citizens who expressed their disapproval of her presence in the area. However, no harm came to her as state police officers prevented any violent incidents from occurring.
(RedRadioVE) by Ana Perdigón, with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/KZ
