The United States Secretary of State affirmed that the country must move towards legitimate elections after the capture of Nicolás Maduro. He argued that Washington’s initial priority was to avoid “instability” and “mass migration.”
The head of US diplomacy, Marco Rubio, assured this Wednesday, February 25, that Venezuela will need free and democratic elections after the capture of Nicolás Maduro in January, although he avoided setting a deadline for their holding.
During a summit of Caribbean leaders held in St. Kitts and Nevis, Rubio noted that for the country to take “the next step toward true development” and to benefit from its resources, Venezuelans “will need the legitimacy of fair and democratic elections.”
The official explained that, after Maduro’s capture on January 3, Washington’s “initial priority” was to ensure that there was no “instability,” nor “massive migration,” nor “an overflow of violence.” “We believe we have achieved it,” he said.
Since then, the United States has maintained contacts with the person in charge of the Executive, Delcy Rodríguez, who assumed duties after the operation that led to the departure of Maduro. Rubio acknowledged that some Caribbean leaders have expressed misgivings about what happened in January, but defended the results.
“I will tell you this, and I will say it without apology or fear: Venezuela is better today than it was eight weeks ago,” he declared. He added that the progress achieved is “substantial”, although he admitted that “there is still a long way to go.”
Rubio also highlighted the release of political prisoners in the weeks after Maduro’s capture as progress and maintained that the country would be heading towards a new stage that includes elections.
The statements were reviewed by the AFP agency and the German media Deutsche Welle.
*Journalism in Venezuela is carried out in a hostile environment for the press with dozens of legal instruments in place to punish the word, especially the laws “against hate”, “against fascism” and “against the blockade.” This content was written taking into consideration the threats and limits that, consequently, have been imposed on the dissemination of information from within the country.
