Maduro Threatens to keep Control of the Parliament if he loses December 6 Elections

In one of his shameful television transmissions addressing the Nation this past Thursday, Nicolas Maduro threatened the Opposition and the Venezuelan people that “if, hypothetically, the opposition wins parliamentary elections on December 6,  he would “not give the revolution away” and would continue governing with the "people" and a "civic-military" government. Maduro said that if the Opposition wins, Venezuela would be in one of the “murkiest” stages of its political life and he would defend the revolution in moving it to a new “phase.” In other words, he will continue his dictatorial regime, holding the National Assembly hostage while disregarding the will of the Venezuelan people.

 

Maduro’s reaction came after the recent survey from Datacorp which indicated that the opposition would get 56% of the December votes and Chavism 39 %.  82% of Venezuelans considered Maduro’s management bad and negative. Back in June a survey done by the same company indicated 70%. Clearly a strong  anti-Maduro sentiment is growing in the country.

In addition to these bleak polling results, Maduro's popularity fell to 24.3 percent due to the highest inflation ever seen, shortages of food and above all the uncontrolled delinquency that has placed Venezuela as one of the most dangerous countries in the world.

In addition to the country’s discontent, recent events are piling up over Maduro’s

way of running the country and his dictatorial tactics.  This is the case of prosecutor Franklin Nieves, one of the Leopoldo Lopez prosecutors. Nieves who escaped Venezuela and is now in Miami seeking asylum, said that he had orders "from the number one (Nicolas Maduro)” to develop arrest warrants against the leader of VP (Voluntad Popular) Leopoldo Lopez.  According to Nieves, he lied to the Venezuelan people and to the world when he presented the case of Leopoldo Lopez, accusing him of inciting violence.  Nieves calls Leopoldo Lopez the political prisoner of Maduro’s. his past September. Leopoldo Lopez was convicted to 14 years in prison for “inciting violence” against the regime

Counselor of the U.S. State Department, Thomas Shannon, has threatened Venezuela with additional sanctions if Maduro engages in such undemocratic tactics. Shannon described as crucial that “citizens are able to freely choose their leaders in the legislative elections scheduled for December 6. “

I strongly believe that Maduro should be removed from office before Venezuelan engages in an implosion and more lives continue to be lost as a result of political civil. The OAS and the UN have a responsibility with the Venezuelan people and with the democracy in the region in order to avoid another Syria.   

Nicolas Maduro is Deceiving the World while he Steals the Parliamentary Elections

In his quest to stay in power Nicolas Maduro has done everything, from repressing dissidents, incarcerating opposition leaders and student protesters, to even standing in front of the United Nations announcing possible violent acts from the Opposition “to alter the Parliamentary elections.”  

He has vowed to demonstrate his “vocation for a democratic and peaceful elections”, while in practice to Human Right Watch, uses the judicial system as a tool to penalize the Opposition. A case in point is the one of Political leader Leopoldo Lopez who was sentenced to 14 years in prison for leading peaceful protests against the regime. Seventy-eight others have also paid a huge price for protesting the regime, with torture and jail time.

Nicolas Maduro and his oppressive government, in another  move to maintain complete control of the electoral process, has prematurely retired 13 Supreme Court judges. The reason for this blatant disregard for the Venezuelan Democratic process is so he can replace those judges with those in favor of the regime and without the intervention of the Opposition. Maduro did the same a year ago, when 14 judges were replaced before of their scheduled retirement.

of their retirement.   At that time these judges were appointed bypassing any input from the opposition.

Maduro has also paralyzed the Opposition by banning them from running for parliamentary elections.  To top it all, Maduro has rejected foreign observers as was proposed by the the OAS, to observe the December electoral process in Venezuela. I will continue asking the same question:  Can a country where there is no transparency and the institutions of government are sequestered, have fair elections this December 6, 2015?

National and International Outrage Against the Sentencing of Leopoldo Lopez

On Saturday Venezuelans, Colombians,. andDemocratic people across the globe united against last week’s conviction of political leader Leopoldo Lopez for 14 years in prison by the Maduro regime. 

The regime’s sentencing is a clear sign of it’s fear for the political outcome due to the hyperinflation, corruption, delinquency, and the extreme lack of products that the country is experiencing today. The sentencing has

re-enforced Lopez’s position as a united leader of the opposition.

 In New York City, Colombian and Venezuelans were united in an echo of the same sentiment of anger and repudiation against the Lopez conviction, and against the brutal human rights violations to poor Colombians living at the Venezuelan-Colombian borders.

Over 600 people were victims of deportations, and their homes, and properties were destroyed. In many instances, the Venezuelan Militia raped women, and girls. With the upcoming December 6 Parliamentary elections, this border incident was provoked by the Venezuelan regime to distract the Venezuelan people and to cause discord with the neighboring country. In addition, the United Nations reports that thousands of  Colombian have left Venezuela in outrage against this savage regime.

Venezuela, a country that was once considered a Democratic model of for Latin America now has the second highest homicide rate in the world.  The United States warns US citizens there about the out-of-control crime.  According to the report, heavily armed criminals have used grenades and assault rifles to commit crimes at banks, shopping malls, public transportation stations, and Universities.  The situation in Venezuela today is not sustainable and the Maduto regime is fully aware that its time is up.