Imperialism Cannot Give Lessons on Democracy: PM Gonsalves
Transnational right-wing forces disqualified the Venezuelan presidential elections before they even began.
On Thursday night, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves commented on the Venezuelan presidential elections that took place on July 28, in which President Nicolas Maduro was re-elected with 51 percent of the votes.
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In a very emphatic manner, the Caribbean leader questioned the intentions of delegitimizing the official electoral results and discredit Venezuelan democracy.
“Imperialism cannot speak to me about free and fair elections,” Gonsalves said in statements to the St. Vincent Times, through which he recalled the stance that the United States and its allies have maintained regarding the Bolivarian electoral process.
“From the beginning, they say it is not free; it is not fair. And nobody gives any reasons? Independent observers who were present have declared the elections to be free and fair,” the St. Vincent Prime Minister pointed out.
Gonsalves also mentioned that transnational far-right forces are seeking to discredit not only the Venezuelan electoral authority but also the Supreme Court, to which President Maduro turned for a comprehensive review of the entire electoral process and its results.
“They said, ‘No, because the Supreme Court is in his pocket,’” the St. Vincent leader recalled, alluding to the complaints of the far-right about the alleged control that Maduro has over the Judicial Branch.
“Five people in the Supreme Court who voted to put Bush in the White House, Young Bush, those who are nominated by Republicans, and the four who voted against were appointed by the Democrats. And you tell me that’s a great and impartial tribunal. You can’t tell me also that when the majority of the court is appointed by Republicans and they have just given Donald Trump immunity for all actions that are done, we read the judgment,” Gonsalves recalled, as reported by The St. Vincent Times.
He also mentioned that his criticisms of the U.S. attitude do not imply disregarding that “the American government and the American people are our friends.” However, he cannot agree with erroneous information about Venezuela and its democratic processes.
