The country wakes up militarized in the main cities where the marches have been called for this January 9.
Venezuela will distribute “wanted” posters against seven former Latin American presidents throughout the country who expressed their intention to accompany the anti-Chavista leader Edmundo González Urrutia in his objective of being sworn in as president on January 10, when Nicolás Maduro assures that he will take office for a third six-year term in power, reported the Minister of the Interior, Diosdado Cabello.
The official ordered the Armed Forces and police forces to distribute “throughout all streets, ports and airports.” the posters against the former rulers Andrés Pastrana (Colombia), Mario Abdo Benítez (Paraguay), Vicente Fox and Felipe Calderón (Mexico), Mireya Moscoso and Ernesto Pérez Balladares (Panama) and Jamil Mahuad (Ecuador).
In the posters, which he showed during the broadcast of his weekly program on the state channel VTV, each one is designated as an “invader” and accused of “conspiracy and complicity in terrorist acts, as well as attacking the peace of Venezuela.”
He maintained that these alerts must be disseminated in “the entire national territory, in ports, airports, streets, checkpoints, avenues, because these are criminals”, in reference to the former leaders.
Capture of Enrique Márquez
The Government of Venezuela confirmed this Wednesday the arrest of former opposition presidential candidate Enrique Márquez – a day after NGOs and political parties denounced his arrest – and accused him of allegedly planning a “coup d’état” for January 10, the day of the inauguration.
The Minister of the Interior and Justice, Diosdado Cabello, said that Márquez, According to a 21-page document allegedly found on his computer, he had proposed holding the swearing-in ceremony for the leader of the largest opposition coalition, Edmundo González Urrutia -who claims victory in the July elections-, in a Venezuelan embassy abroad.
“Since the gentleman cannot come here, or does not want to come here, five criminals are going to meet at the headquarters of a foreign embassy,” said Cabello, who indicated that the diplomatic headquarters of the Caribbean country in United States and Peru, with which Caracas does not have relationswere taken by the governments of these countries.
The arrival of Edmundo González
The opponent Edmundo González Urrutia, who claims to have won the Venezuelan presidential elections last July, arrived on the local night of this Wednesday in Santo Domingothe last announced stop of his tour of America to gather international support.
After 10:00 p.m. local time (01:00 GMT on Thursday), González Urrutia arrived at Las Américas International Airport on a flight from Panama.
On Thursday, González Urrutia, exiled in Spain since last Septemberwill be received by the Dominican head of state, Luis Abinader, and members of his Government at the National Palace in Santo Domingo.
According to the Dominican Presidency, the “Act to support democracy in Venezuela” will take place there, in the presence of González Urrutia, Abinader and eight former Latin American presidents who are members of the Democratic Initiative of Spain and the Americas (Grupo Idea).
The call to the streets of María Corina
The anti-Chavista leader María Corina Machado reiterated this Wednesday the call to “all of Venezuela” to participate in the protest called for Thursday, the eve of the presidential inauguration, at which both the opponent Edmundo González Urrutia – whose victory he claims – and the president Nicolás Maduro assure that they will attend to be sworn in as head of state for the period 2025 -2031.
“We all know that this is over (…), now it’s time to complete the task and everyone has their partlike an orchestra. Tomorrow (Thursday) we will meet in towns and cities throughout Venezuela (…) and in hundreds of cities around the world,” said the former deputy in a video published on her social networks.
Machado, who confirmed on Tuesday that he will come out of hiding and attend the demonstration, expressed that “the time has come” for the “longed-for” reunion and asked Venezuelans for “serenity and firmness” in claiming the victory that González Urrutia claims. .
