Venezuela: Church asks to respect human rights ahead of January 10

Next Friday, January 10, according to the law in Venezuela, the new President of the Republic, elected in the elections of July 28, 2024, for the period 2025-2031, must be sworn in. In the midst of the complicated political and social panorama that the country will go through this week, the local Catholic Church has asked for “respect for human and citizen rights.”

Such were the words of the Archbishop of Caracas, Mons. Raúl Biord, during the inauguration of the Jubilee Year 2025 in Caracas, on January 6. The prelate asked that political actors guarantee, in a democratic framework, “freedom of thought, expression and social action, and also the cessation of all forms of intimidation and hatred wherever it comes from.”

The message from the Caracas archbishop joins those emanating from the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference (CEV), since last July, in which the bishops have repeatedly stated that “the truth, even if it wants to be hidden, or reduced to the opinion of a few, “it turns out to be imposed.”

“Ignoring popular sovereignty manifested through voting is morally unacceptable, since it seriously departs from truth and justice,” the bishops wrote in September 2024.

Both Nicolás Maduro and Edmundo González Urrutia claim victory in the presidential elections. The first was widely questioned internationally and without having presented any detailed support for his victory. González, for his part, managed, together with María Corina Machado, to collect more than 80% of the electoral records that certify the votes he claims to have received.

Until today, various countries around the world have recognized the opposition candidate as the legitimately elected president of all Venezuelans.

International tour for January 10

Since January 4, González began a tour of Latin American countries, with the aim of gathering support for what would be his presidential inauguration, on the 10th of this month.

The opposition leader met on Saturday with Argentine President Javier Milei, in Buenos Aires, who recognized him as president-elect and expressed his support for achieving a democratic transition in Venezuela.

After greeting, along with President Milei, a large crowd of Venezuelans gathered in the Plaza de Mayo, González was emphatic in pointing out that “by any means” he would arrive in Venezuela on January 10.

Gonzalez too met with Uruguayan president Luis Lacalle Pou and held a virtual conversation with the Paraguayan president Santiago Peñathis January 6th.

Former Colombian president Andrés Pastrana stated about González’s intention to enter Venezuela, that there would be nine former presidents of the region willing to accompany him on a plane to the country, which would depart from the Dominican Republic, the last stop of the tour, on Thursday, January 9.

González would arrive in Panama on January 7, after having met in the United States with President Joe Biden, some congressmen and senators, and part of President-elect Donald Trump’s team.

In parallel to the tour, María Corina Machado, leader of the opposition, has called on Venezuelans to a new day of protest in the main cities of the country, this January 9.

Despite being in hiding for several months, Machado has assured that will accompany the protesters in the streets that dayone who

It will be “historic” and remembered for many generations to come.

Chavismo’s response

Diosdado Cabello, Venezuelan Minister of the Interior, Justice and Peace, assured that as soon as González “lays a finger in Venezuela, he will be arrested and convicted for all these crimes of which he is accused.”

“He says he comes with former presidents. Come, former presidents, we are waiting for you. (Juan Manuel) Santos, come; (Andrés) Pastrana, come; (Vicente) Fox, come away; (Jorge) Quiroga, you will be welcome. Everyone has their space ready, prepared to receive them. some will say ‘no, they don’t dare.’ Are we not going to dare? When it comes to defending the country we dare to do everything, everything. We are not going to allow criminals from other countries to come to Venezuela to try to invade our country,” added the second in command of the Chavista regime, during a press conference on January 6.

Cabello and other political leaders, including the Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padrino López, have expressed in recent days that Nicolás Maduro will be the one to take power in the country, for the third consecutive term.