Maduro met with opposition leaders

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro met with independent opposition leaders yesterday in an effort to form the National Front for Peace ahead of the July 28 presidential election. During the meeting, the president emphasized “the importance of dialogue and cooperation for the stability and development of Venezuela.”

The opposition leaders present were Adrián Azuaje, mayor of the municipality of “Obispos”, in the state of Barinas; Eduardo Negrette, mayor of the municipality of “Samuel Darío Maldonado” (La Tendida), in the state of Táchira; Jesús Méndez, mayor of the municipality of “Píritu”, in the state of Anzoátegui; Juan Carlos Zamora, mayor of the municipality of “Tinaco”, in the state of Cojedes; Sulme Ávila, mayor of the municipality of “Juan Germán Roscio” (San Juan De Los Morros), in the state of Guárico; Luis Pinto, mayor of the municipality of “El Socorro”, in the state of Guárico; Carlos Prosperi, political leader of the opposition; and Daniel Coronel, leader of the youth of Carabobo.

Carabobo youth leader Daniel Coronel took the opportunity to send a message to “all young people outside the country” and remind them that the economic situation in Venezuela “has improved considerably” and that it is now possible to “give these young people a future.” Coronel added: “We know that this is not the same situation as in 2013.”

For his part, Adrián Azuaje, mayor of the municipality of “Obispos” in the state of Barinas, said that, as representatives of the western plains, they only want to “work for Venezuela.” Luis Pinto, mayor of El Socorro in the state of Guárico, asked the president for support for small farmers “who have not sown for years.” Méndez, mayor of the municipality of “Píritu” in the state of Anzoátegui, expressed his confidence in the vote: “I was elected by the vote and I believe in peace, in reconciliation, I believe in politics in which points of contact are sought and in which the needs of the people are considered.” Sulme Ávila, mayor of San Juan de los Morros in the state of Guárico, emphasized the need to work for peace: “Enough with the hatred, enough with the evil.” Juan Carlos Zamora, mayor of the municipality of “Tinaco” in the state of Cojedes, considered this meeting necessary and recalled that he was formed in the ranks of the revolution and, after learning “the truth” about the opposition, he decided to return.

During the meeting, Maduro stated that his government “will support the projects of the opposition leaders in their municipalities.” He also emphasized that the country’s economic recovery was possible “thanks to the effort and resistance” of the Venezuelan people. “If the country is recovering today, it is thanks to the people who stood up, innovated, created, worked and did not give up,” Maduro said, emphasizing that Venezuela has a robust and stable economic system, with the bolivar recovering its historical value.
The head of state also announced the imminent signing of a decree to “promote peace in the country,” which will include a national agreement on trade, cultural, political and security issues. In his speech, Maduro praised the courage of independent opponents and their messages in favor of peace. “There will always be differences, positions, positions, we are just an atom in the history of humanity and an atom in the history of the country,” he said.

At the end of his speech, the president emphasized the importance of the common good and the need to put aside individual interests for the well-being of the country. “We are all temporary in office, in leadership; but the time we are in office must be for the good, to help and support noble causes,” concluded Maduro.