Far-right Unitary Platform (PUD) presidential candidate Edmundo González at a campaign event in La Victoria, Aragua state, Venezuela. Photo: Rayner Peña/EFE.
The far-right opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia ruled out signing an agreement that would recognize the results of the upcoming presidential elections scheduled for July 28. The agreement had been suggested by the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) to prevent far-right violence after the elections, something that has happened several times in the past.
On Tuesday, June 11, a journalist asked González Urrutia whether he would sign the agreement proposed by the president of the National Assembly, PSUV Deputy Jorge Rodríguez. The agreement has been proposed by Chavismo in at least the last 10 elections held in Venezuela and far-right opposition candidates always rejected it.
In this regard, the Unitary Platform (PUD) candidate responded, “Why sign an agreement?,” making it clear that his intentions are not to recognize the will of the majority of Venezuelans if he does not win.
Following the line of his mentor, far-right politician María Corina Machado, González Urrutia became the first opposition candidate to reject the signing of this agreement this time.
🔵 NO FIRMARÁ ACUERDO SOBRE RECONOCIMIENTO DE RESULTADOS
✍️ El candidato ultraderechista, Edmundo González, rechazó la propuesta del jefe de Estado, Nicolás Maduro, sobre la firma de un acuerdo de reconocimiento de los resultados el próximo 28 de julio.
🗣️ Dijo “para qué” pic.twitter.com/HGXqNjELO4
— Primicias Venezuela (@PrimiciasVe) June 11, 2024
This decision is in line with the complaint made by the head of PSUV’s Our Venezuela campaign staff, Jorge Rodríguez, who warned that the Venezuelan far-right is using social media to create a trend of fraud and thus generate violence in the country in case of its electoral defeat.
Rodríguez complained that some candidates are campaigning properly, but one group has already prepared the ground to claim electoral fraud, referring to PUD.
In an act very different from González Urrutia, last week, the presidential candidate for Democratic Action party (AD), Luis Eduardo Martínez, delivered to the National Electoral Council (CNE) a document in which he commits to recognize the results of the July 28 elections.
“We believe in voting, we have not deviated from the electoral route ever,” Martínez wrote in said document.
Diosdado Cabello: ‘There are Professional Fraud Claimers in the Opposition’
The president of Venezuela and candidate for the PSUV, Nicolás Maduro, said on Monday that he is willing to sign an agreement to recognize the results of the presidential elections. This is a regular practice for Chavista candidates, while most of the time the far-right opposition rejects signing such agreements.
“Whoever wants to sign, let him sign, and whoever does not want to sign, it will be for a reason,” added the president during the broadcast of his television program Con Maduro+.
A few weeks ago, Jorge Rodríguez invited the opposition presidential candidates to deliver to the CNE a document making their commitment to respecting the results of the presidential elections.
(RedRadioVE) by Ana Perdigón, with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/MCM
