Biden: Maduro invents false plots

The following comments about Venezuela were made by U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden in an written interview with the Chilean newspaper El Mercurio published Sunday (March 9) in Spanish. Translation by Progreso Weekly.

“The situation in Venezuela is alarming. The Venezuelan government has a basic responsibility to respect the universal rights, including the freedom of expression and assembly; to prevent violence and commit itself to a genuine dialogue in a country that is deeply divided. There is a better way for the Venezuelan people and I hope the government takes it.

“To face peaceful demonstrations with force and in some cases with armed militias, to limit the freedom of press and assembly — which are indispensable to engage in a legitimate political debate — to demonize and arrest the political opposition and dramatically reinforce the restrictions against the media is not what’s expected of democracies that are committed to the Declaration of Human Rights and the Inter-American Charter and certainly is not at the level of the democratic standards that define most of our hemisphere.

“The OAS and its members have an important role in reinforcing the democratic institutions and helping solve political crises like the one we’re witnessing in Venezuela. We have seen calls by the OAS and countries in the region to back a real dialogue in the country and calls to all sides to avoid violence and intimidation.

“I have been working on these issues for many years, everywhere in the world, and the situation in Venezuela reminds me of past eras, when caudillos ruled with violence and oppression and the human rights, the hyperinflation, the shortages and the extreme poverty created havoc with the people of the hemisphere. […]

“President Nicolás Maduro so far has tried to distract his people from the more important issues that are at play in Venezuela by inventing totally false and extravagant conspiracies about the United States. Instead of doing that, he should listen to the Venezuelan people and look to the example of those leaders who resisted oppression in the Americas. Otherwise, he risks repeating the injustices against which so many fought with such bravery.”

The interview, in Spanish, deals with other subjects not involving Venezuela. To read it in full, click here.