Jorge Rodríguez: We Will Dialogue Only with those Who Have Renounced Violence

On Tuesday, July 20, the president of the National Assembly (AN), Jorge Rodríguez, made reference to the destabilizing events that took place in Cota 905 neighborhood and its surroundings in Caracas and to the subsequent Security Operation Gran Cacique Indio Guaicaipuro, while making an appeal to both the opposition parties and the media of the country.

During a debate at the regular session of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez appealed to political parties to ”abandon the expediency of automated solidarity,” and stressed that ”all destabilization attempts are irrespective of people’s political ideology, and we are all victims of such attempts.”

Rodríguez emphasized that the government will hold dialogue only ”with those sectors of the opposition that officially renounce all kinds of violence against the Venezuelan people. We are ready for any negotiation as long as there is a will to dialogue with President Nicolás Maduro Moros’ legitimate government.”

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Likewise, Rodríguez called on the media to heed the will of the people, and criticized some sectors of the media for ”taking up to six months to report that the complaints that we have made are true.” Rodríguez decried that ”for them [the media] the only acceptable evidence is the lifeless body of a revolutionary leader.”

Deputy Rodríguez recalled that on February 25, 2019, the government had denounced an attempted military incursion in Venezuela, and the media had dismissed the complaint. ”Eight weeks later the media recognized that our complaint was legitimate. The same happened when we denounced the paramilitary camps in Colombia, and the same has happened in Cota 905; we denounced it and the media, once again, kept silent.”

In the context of the violence that took place recently in Cota 905, Rodríguez condemned that assassins and mercenaries were hired from Florida to attack other countries.

At Tuesday’s session of the Assembly, the legislative agreement of support for Operation Gran Cacique Indio Guaicaipuro, which was executed by the government to restore peace and tranquility in Caracas, was approved.

This agreement supports the actions undertaken by the government for the security operation, and censors the sponsorship of criminality by foreign interests. The agreement also praised the courage of the women involved in the operation, as well as the citizen security organizations. The agreement was delivered to Carmen Teresa Meléndez, minister for the Interior.

Deputy Antonio José Benavides, who was in charge of delivering the agreement to the National Assembly, emphasized that “the government will exercise the authority of the State when the peace of the Republic is under threat. This is why it is necessary for us to support the adoption and execution of concrete measures to guarantee peace.”

Antonio Benavides at the National Assembly. Photo: Wilmer Errades.

During the debate at the Legislative Palace, deputy Pedro Carreño explained that the violent events that occurred in Cota 905 were part of a larger plan. “It is no coincidence that just when a European Union commission was in the country, these perpetrators of violence started their action,” he stated. ”It was not by chance, and that is why we had to adopt a strategy.”

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Carreño added that the Venezuelan police forces are well prepared to confront organized crime and that the current security deployment in the capital city will continue as a measure to maintain peace.

Bruno Galo, deputy for Avanzada Progresista, stressed that his party supports the aforementioned agreement, as these operations will hinder criminal activities throughout the country.