Featured image: US congressman Gregory Meek urging the US administration to open dialogue channels with Venezuelan constitutional President, Nicolas Maduro. File photo.
This Thursday, May 6, following the appointment of the new board of directors of the National Electoral Council (CNE) in Venezuela, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US House of Representatives, Gregory Meeks, urged US President Joe Biden to recognize the electoral body, as its renewal marked “an important step towards free and fair elections.”
“Although the new formation of the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela is far from perfect,” said Meeks, “I believe that yesterday’s agreement between representatives of the opposition and the Maduro government marks an important step towards free and fair elections in the country.” Meeks’ statement was posted on the website of the foreign affairs committee of the lower house of the US congress.
“Given this important announcement, I strongly urge the Biden administration to acknowledge the new CNE and increase engagement with the Maduro government, opposition representatives, and members of civil society who played a decisive role in shaping this agreement,” added the congressman’s statement.
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“This is the first time since 2006 that the CNE will have two opposition rectors, Enrique Márquez and Roberto Picón,” added Meeks, “both of whom have significant political and technical experience.”
According to Meeks, although the new CNE “is not a panacea,” it “will play a crucial role in opening the door to opportunities to deepen discussions on other vital electoral conditions.”
“While I remain deeply concerned about the human rights violations committed by the Maduro government and I recognize that the path back to democracy is complicated, I believe that the Biden government must send clear signals to Caracas that recognize these positive gestures and encourage a greater advance towards democracy,” indicated the congressman in the text, aligning himself with the US narrative demonizing Venezuela’s democracy.
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“At the same time,” added Meeks, “I am committed to exploring multilateral solutions and working with our partners in the international community to find common ground and help end the suffering of the Venezuelan people.” The statement neglected to mention that most of the suffering is the direct result of US executive and legislative actions to illegally “sanction” and blockade Venezuela.
Meeks also mentioned that the appointment of the new CNE board comes “immediately after other important events in Venezuela.”
Among these facts the congressman highlighted:
-The Venezuelan government’s agreement with the World Food Program (WFP).
-The “continuous collaboration” with the opposition to acquire vaccines through the Global Access Fund for COVID-19 Vaccines (COVAX) of the World Health Organization (WHO).
-The decision to allow house arrest benefits for the so-called CITGO Six, Venezuelan executives were sentenced on corruption charges.
Meeks called these “important gestures of goodwill that the US government must recognize.”
Featured image: US congressman Gregory Meeks urged the US administration to open channels for dialogue with Venezuela’s constitutional President, Nicolas Maduro. File photo.
(La IguanaTV) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL
