On Tuesday, Diosdado Cabello, former president of the National Assembly of Venezuela, announced that the presidential elections will be held before April 30th. The organization of the elections is in the hands of the National Electoral Council, which must set a date as soon as possible.
These elections, which were scheduled for the end of 2018, will be the third elections one convened by the Chavista Constituent Assembly in six months. This announcement took the Venezuelans by surprise, since the decision was announced in the midst of uncertainties and has generated various reactions.
Henrique Capriles, a former presidential candidate wrote on his Twitter account:
Today, tomorrow, and yesterday, the only great truth is that this government and its leadership is hated by the vast majority of Venezuelans! If our people get the freedom to decide, they have to leave! Unity, now more than ever! Unity to regain democracy!”
Members of the opposition insist that participating in the process would be a total contradiction, since it is known of the urgent need for the renewal of the leadership of the Venezuelan electoral body.
The ruling party is the calm in the face of this decision as it feels confident to win the elections despite losing legitimacy and credibility in the last three years.
President Maduro does not sleep to work, to fight for the tranquility of the people. It is not President Maduro who is interested in causing pain or discomfort in the country. Our enemies are grouped in the opposition, those are the ones who are interested in that,”
said Emilio Colina, a member of the Chavista Chamber.
Although inflation, poverty, violations of human rights, and migration have risen to unprecedented levels during Maduro’s government, the ruling party is still optimistic.