Venezuelan far-right Justice First party members Henrique Capriles (right) and Tomás Guanipa (left) during a political rally. Photo: File photo.
The far-right Venezuelan opposition political party Justice First (PJ) has expelled a number of its leaders, including Henrique Capriles and Tomás Guanipa, for “betraying unity and the popular mandate,” by agreeing to participate in the upcoming regional elections scheduled for May 25.
Through a statement made this Wednesday, April 16, PJ reported that Amelia Belisario, Ángel Medina, Pablo Pérez, and Juan Requesens were also expelled from the political organization.
“It is particularly outrageous and scandalous that figures like Henrique Capriles and Tomás Guanipa, after negotiations with the Maduro regime, have been selectively approved to run in the elections,” the statement reads. “Meanwhile, the country’s legitimate parties continue to be prosecuted and held hostage by the powers that be.”
For the far-right PJ party, the decision of these leaders goes against the supposed “path defined by the democratic unitary platform, by the president-elect Edmundo González Urrutia and the leadership of María Corina Machado,” citing opposition leaders known to have led riots and called for imperialist intervention in Venezuela.
The opposition party’s decision responds to these leaders’ decision to actively participating in the regional and parliamentary elections called by the National Electoral Council for May 25.
President Maduro: No Imperial Power Can Overcome People’s Will
Right to vote
In response to far-right PJ leadership, Henrique Capriles said: “The vote is a tool of struggle that we have and that we will not stop using to achieve change.”
Capriles also said that he will defend the right to vote because it symbolizes hope. “It’s not true that voting means giving up our struggles,” he commented on social media. “Our call is to reflect and recognize that each election is a new opportunity.”
The opposition leader also added that he will not accept that Julio Borges, “lacking legitimacy among the party’s ranks,” continues to make these attempts to distance him from the fight for democracy and the right to vote.
(RedRadioVE) by Milena Bravo with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/AU
