Maduro’s weak and isolated government continues to act in violation of human rights, political guarantees and due process in the country.
I condemn the detention of the vice-president of the National Assembly, Edgar Zambrano, which adds to the wave of kidnappings and political persecution against civilians and the military who oppose the Maduro regime. Maduro’s repressive policies against those who oppose him has escalated as a result of the still to be clarified events of last April 30.
Regardless of our political differences and disagreement with the intended coup of the 30th.of April, we cannot fail to condemn the violation of due process and political guarantees in our country. As we warned in our article from last Sunday «Another Adventure«, published in my blog rafaelramirez.net, Zambrano is paying dearly for his fleeting appearance and embrace of the leaders of the attempted coup. The government seems to be unloading on him the impotence they feel for not being able to control the actions of the self-proclaimed “president” Guaidó.
The government’s reactions are disproportionate, violate the right to due process and the basic human rights of Congressman Zambrano. This escalation of repression ordered by Maduro and his inner circle of power, was triggered by a decision from the National Constituent Assembly, a public power that it is only convened to raise its hand in approval of whatever decisions Maduro needs; together with a Supreme Court of Justice that «does what Maduro says» and over whose president many doubts linger about his role on the power grab attempt of last April 30. What we are seeing with these detentions of the opposition’s deputies, resemble those of the 1960’s, when President Betancourt raided the old Congress and imprisoned many left-wing deputies. More than ten years of armed violence in the country followed those actions.
Such serious and disproportionate use of force against Congressman Zambrano was announced during an “entertainment” program using extensive intolerant rhetoric, mockery and attacks against our people’s sovereign rights. It was conveyed in such a way, destitute of all seriousness and balance that should prevail by any government spokesperson; that it fed the widespread impression that power groups within the government are willing to lead the country to a fatal situation.
In any country, the events of April 30 should be the subject of a serious investigation led by an independent judiciary that closely abides by the Constitution. Unfortunately, this is not going to happen in this case. Not only because there is no judicial power of this kind at present in Venezuela, but also because such an investigation would produce surprising results about those who are now starring in this repressive escalation.
We have previously denounced the government’s systematic violations of human rights, basic constitutional guarantees and the fundamental rights of our citizens. Anyone, Chavista or Opposition, who opposes the Maduro regime, runs the risk of persecution, exile, kidnapping, imprisonment and even murder. People live in a state of fear and hopelessness under a governing political gang that refuses to rectify and enable a political solution to the very serious crisis facing our country. They have led our homeland into a deep abyss.
We are living through difficult, definitive moments that precede a conflict with unpredictable consequences. Powerful interests haunt our country, finding us as weak as never before. It requires strategic vision, political stature, greatness, for us to come out of this crisis. We need to put aside any groups or personal ambitions so that we can unite around a Patriotic Board of Government that is able to re-establish the Constitution. We need to put aside the hatred, selfishness, pettiness and return to politics and the rule of law so we can give back to the people their sovereignty and power to conduct of their own destiny and rebuild our Homeland.