Claudio Fermín Responds to Accusations that He is Dividing Venezuela’s Opposition
Opposition candidate for the governorship of Barinas, Claudio Fermín, publicly denounced those who have accused him of dividing the Venezuelan opposition.
During a press conference, Fermín declared that the accusations made against him are clearly false, as he has never belonged to any political party.
“Its a fallacy, I’m not dividing anyone,” said Fermín. “In order for this to be the case, I would have to have belonged to a party, because that is where political division takes place. But as I haven’t been part of any group or party, you can’t say that I have been dividing the opposition.”
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He also clarified that he has never played at these games of political sectarianism and that as such he “can’t be charged with dividing a political faction that I never belonged to.”
I have never been an abstentionist, nor have I bowed down to foreign powers,” wrote Fermín on Twitter. “I have never thought that the crisis should be made worse just to make the government fall apart. I have never played that game. I’m not part of that and I’m not dividing anyone. Here, everybody has something to gain.”
The decision for Fermín to run as candidate of the Soluciones para Venezuela (Solutions for Venezuela) party was questioned by José Guerra, who has criticized the Democratic Alliance’s backing of Fermín, through which he is supported by 10 political organizations.
Guerra has also accused Fermín of running for the governorship of Barinas solely to divide the opposition vote and help the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV).
“Countryman Claudio Fermín, what are you up to now?” Guerra wrote on his Twitter account. “You’re a candidate in Barinas just to divide the opposition vote and make it easier for the PSUV. You’re a case study. You’ve gone from mayor of Caracas and presidential candidate to being Maduro’s tool.”
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These accusations were seconded by remarks from the former candidate for the governorship of Lara, Henri Falcón, who reiterated that his party, Progressive Advance, would support the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) candidate, Sergio Garrido.
“In Barinas, Progressive Advance will support the candidate that Democratic Unity Roundtable chooses and is represented by,” stated Falcón. “The rational and logical thing to do is to support the candidate running on a unified platform. We aren’t going to support division in Barinas, it is the time for Venezuela.”
The candidature of Claudio Fermín is supported by Cambiemos [Let’s Change], Primero Venezuela [Venezuela First], Venezuela Unida [Venezuela United], Compromiso País [National Compromise], Bandera Roja [Red Flag] and Democratic Action.
Featured image: Claudio Fermín. Photo: REDRADIOVE
(REDRADIOVE by Ana Perdigón)
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/KW/SL
