Venezuela: The Mistake Would Be to Disregard the July 28 Elections
Editorial by La Estrella de Panamá
HAVANA TIMES — The thunder of U.S. bombings over Caracas did not remain confined to Venezuela. Their political and symbolic impact immediately spread throughout the region.
The world watches with concern an extreme scene, but it must not lose sight of an essential truth: the Venezuelan regime acted with impunity for years, shutting down the democratic path and deliberately disregarding the popular mandate.
The United States bombed Caracas and announced the capture of Nicolás Maduro. On July 28, 2024, Venezuelans voted. The tally sheets—safeguarded in Panama—gave a clear victory to Edmundo González Urrutia. That result was ignored by the regime, nullifying the sovereignty of the vote and pushing the country toward a scenario of greater authoritarianism and repression.
It is not now clear that Maduro’s departure implies a real change of regime. The leadership maintains territorial control and command of the Armed Forces. In this context, it would be a complete irresponsibility for Delcy Rodríguez, the regime’s vice president, to attempt to head the government in Venezuela. There can be no talk of a democratic transition if it is administered by those who upheld and carried out the institutional breakdown.
The region does not need a cosmetic replacement or an imposed transition. It needs the elections to be respected. Therefore, it is essential that a group of democratic countries in the region and the international community speak out in a coordinated manner, unequivocally upholding recognition of the July 28 result as the only legitimate source of power in Venezuela.
The transition the country demands does not arise from bombs or external tutelage. It must be built on the will of every Venezuelan expressed at the ballot box. Ignoring that truth would only prolong the conflict and deepen a crisis that already spills beyond borders.
First published in Spanish by La Estrella de Panama and translated and posted in English by Havana Times.