Poster for the Union Radio network interview with far-right opposition politician Manuel Rosales via Vladimir Villegas. Photo: Union Radio.
The presidential candidate for the Un Nuevo Tiempo party (UNT) and governor of the state of Zulia, Manuel Rosales, confirmed that, after registering his presidential candidacy, he decided to make this candidacy available to the Unitary Platform (PUD). However, no representative of the PUD agreed to use it. Rosales show resentment for the attacks of opposition operators against him for his last-minute decision to register as presidential candidate.
“I put the Un Nuevo Tiempo at their disposal,” said Rosales in an interview with far-right journalist Vladimir Villegas on Wednesday, April 3. “She, María Corina Machado, used the Unitary Platform party to try to register but she couldn’t… Then she decided that the candidate would be Corina Yoris, a woman I respect. We also put our political party at her disposal, but it was not possible either.”
“Then, they opted for PUD’s Omar Barboza,” continued Rosales. “He did not pass the obstacles and everything defined by the government. The search for candidates continued, among them, Gerardo Blyde, Ramón Guillermo Aveledo, four governors, and a long list. Nobody wanted to accept the challenge… I spoke to everyone, but no one accepted. We tried Mrs. Yoris. Of course, we tried that option. The decision that night was taken by the Platform, it wasn’t a Un Nuevo Tiempo one.”
In this sense, Rosales claimed that he was not responsible for the decision. “I come to tell the Unitary Platform that this is not Manuel Rosales’ problem,” said Rosales. “I didn’t show up to displace anyone. I did propose that María Corina Machado use my candidacy as it best suits the PUD, and not only to her but to all parties and sectors in the PUD.”
Rosales continued, explaining that he is very comfortable in his role as governor of Zulia state and that its citizens want him to remain there, but he was forced to register his candidacy to prevent the opposition from ending up without a candidate. He insisted that his candidacy is at the disposal of the Unitary Platform and that if he ends up being the candidate he will not accept the challenge to arrive in second place or to simply collect some money, but to win.
“I put my political party and the candidacy wrapped and with a ribbon on a table at the disposal of the PUD. I hope they don’t call for abstention. What happens becomes your responsibility,” he continued.
“I like that they have understood that this is a negotiation and that there must be an agreement with the government,” he added, while complaining that for a negotiation to be successful, one cannot have an arrogant and zero-sum approach when the other party feels that the cost of fair game will be higher than the cost of fair play.
For the last two days, there have been reports of a possible agreement between Rosales and Machado, in the sense of the latter supporting Rosales’ candidacy with the condition of appointing her as vice president in the unlikely scenario of an opposition victory. Machado has denied those reports. However, on social media, this scenario is being discussed by Venezuelan journalists.
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When Villegas asked him about his recognition of Machado’s role as the “rightful candidate” (as stated by US ambassador to Colombia Francisco Palmieri) despite her disqualification, Rosales admitted that every move he makes is closely supervised by the White House.
Rosales responded: “I agree, how can we not endorse the primaries? But they have to recover… I told Palmieri, I have been in communication with the United States with Palmieri, they are our great allies. I told them if they announce sanctions again so that it is over, it will destroy the industry, commerce, and what is left of the agricultural and livestock sector and the country will continue to go over the cliff of the disaster we are in because of the wave of people leaving. I don’t know how big it is going to get.”
“The second thing that I said to Palmieri is to look for resuming the Barbados Agreement; it is not time to fight, it is not the time for sanctions, it is not the time for more conflict. Venezuelans are tired of this,” he continued when Villegas asked him about the recent US decision to strengthen its illegal sanctions regime.
Rosales explained that the US imperial agent, Ambassador Palmieri, questioned him, but Palmieri said he would take the issue to the White House and the US Department of State. This is new evidence of the involvement of the US government in the political processes in Venezuela and, in particular, of the control that it exerts over Venezuela’s opposition political parties.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/SL
