Borges: Caracas arrests are 'anti-democratic'

DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS.
>> IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT THE
GOVERNMENT HAS SAID IN THE PAST
WEEK THAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR
PEACE IN VENEZUELA.
AND IT'S AMAZING THAT THE FIRST
STEP THAT THEY DID AFTER THE
SUPPOSED ELECTION THIS SUNDAY,
IS TO TAKE LUPUL O AND ANTONIO
AND TAKE HIM TO JAIL.
THIS IS VERY CLEAR THAT THIS IS
THE ANSWER OF AN UNDEMOCRATIC
GOVERNMENT, THAT IS ONLY LOOKING
THROUGH FEAR TO KEEP A -- WHAT
THEY CALL PEACE IN VENEZUELA,
WHICH IS VIOLENCE.
>> HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU FOR
ALSO YOUR SITUATION, THE
SITUATIONS OF OTHERS WHO ARE
CURRENTLY IN THE ASSEMBLY?
BECAUSE THE ASSEMBLY ITSELF WAS
UNDER ATTACK JUST EARLIER THIS
YEAR.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WE HAVE HAD MANY ATTACKS,
VIOLENT ATTACKS, AGAINST THE
PARLIAMENT IN VENEZUELA, AND
TODAY I HAD A SESSION OF THE
PARLIAMENT.
I AM VERY, VERY GRATEFUL,
BECAUSE MANY AMBASSADORS WENT
WITH US TO THE NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY, AND THEY WERE JOINING
THE SESSION OF THE PARLIAMENT
AND TO US IT WAS A VERY
IMPORTANT SUPPORT THAT -- PUSH
AGAINST ANY ATTACK TO THE
GOVERNMENT.
>> NOW, THE OPPOSITION OBVIOUSLY
BOYCOTTED ON SUNDAY.
BUT IT STILL WENT THROUGH.
THIS NEW ASSEMBLY WAS ELECTED.
WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS NOW?
TO TRY AND MAINTAIN AT LEAST
SOME OF DEMOCRACY?
>> WELL, OUR OPTION IS TO BE IN
THE STREETS, MAKING
DEMONSTRATIONS.
OUR OPTION IS TO BE IN THE
PARLIAMENT, MAKING RESISTANCE,
IN ORDER TO FULFILL THE DESIRE
OF THE FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY IN
VENEZUELA.
OUR OPTION IS TO CALL FOR THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IN ORDER
TO HELP VENEZUELA.
NOT ONLY WITH CONDEMNATION, BUT
ALSO WITH CONCRETE ACTIONS IN
ORDER TO PUSH FOR A DEMOCRATIC
OUTCOME IN VENEZUELA.
SO WE HAVE TO STRUGGLE IN ORDER
TO KEEP AND TO ACHIEVE FREEDOM
AND DEMOCRACY IN VENEZUELA.
AND SOCIAL JUSTICE.
THAT'S OUR CONCERN.
THAT'S OUR FIGHT.
IT'S THE CHIEF AIM OF OUR
STRUGGLE.
>> HOW BIG IS THE DANGER OF THE
PROTESTS?
WE'VE ALREADY SEEN SO MANY
PEOPLE KILLED OVER THE PAST
COUPLE OF MONTHS IN VENEZUELA.
OF THESE PROTESTS GETTING OUT OF
CONTROL, EVEN MORE THAN THEY
HAVE ALREADY, AND THE VIOLENCE,
YOU KNOW, BECOMING -- AN EVEN
BIGGER ISSUE?
>> YEAH, IT'S SOMETHING VERY
PAINFUL.
NOW THAT WE ARE SPEAKING, WE
HAVE BEEN IN THE STREET FOR MORE
THAN 120 DAYS.
UNFORTUNATELY, 120 PEOPLE HAVE
BEEN KILLED.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
ARRESTED.
MOST OF THEM ARE UNDER MILITARY
TRIAL, WHICH IS UNACCEPTABLE.
AND WHAT I WANT TO BE VERY, VERY
CLEAR WITH YOU, IS THAT WE ARE
NOT IN A CIVIL WAR IN VENEZUELA.
WE DON'T HAVE TO BAN COUNTRIES
FACING EACH OTHER.
THAT IS NOT THE PROBLEM IN
VENEZUELA.
WHAT WE HAVE IS ONE COUNTRY, ONE
VENEZUELAN PEOPLE UNITED AGAINST
A MINORITY, WHICH IS DEMOCRACY
IN VENEZUELA.
>> AT THE SAME TIME, PRESIDENT
MADURO HAS SAID HE'S THE ONE
EMPOWERING THE PEOPLE.
HE CALLS THE FOLKS IN THE
ASSEMBLY THE OLIGARCHS AND HE
SAYS HE'S TAKING POWER AWAY FROM
THEM.
WHERE DO YOU TRY TO START SOME
SORT OF POLITICAL NEGOTIATION
PROCESS IN THAT KIND OF
ENVIRONMENT?
>> WELL, I THINK THAT MADURO IS
RIGHT NOW IN A CORNER.
HE HAS NO POLITICAL ANSWER FOR
THE PEOPLE.
YOU HAVE TO SEE THAT WE HAVE NOT
ONLY POLITICAL PROBLEMS IN
VENEZUELA.
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROBLEM
ARE BIGGER THAN THE POLITICAL
PROBLEM.
WE HAVE THE HIGHEST RATE OF
INFLATION IN THE WORLD.
WE HAVE THE MOST VIOLENT COUNTRY
BECAUSE OF PERSONAL CRIME IN THE
WORLD.
WE HAVE THE COMPANIES AND
INDUSTRIES THAT ARE LEAVING
VENEZUELA.
SO MADURO HAS NO ANSWER FOR
VENEZUELAN PEOPLE.
AND THE CONSTITUTION ASSEMBLY
WILL LEAP THE PROBLEMS OF
VENEZUELA.
SO WE HAVE TO KEEP OUR FIGHT IN
ORDER TO HAVE A DEMOCRATIC
COUNTRY WITH AN ECONOMY SOLVING
THE SOCIAL ISSUES IN VENEZUELA.
AND I HOPE, AND I'M SURE THAT WE
ARE NEAR, THAT POSSIBILITY OF A
DEMOCRATIC OUTCOME IN VENEZUELA.
>> SO FAR, NICOLAS MADURO HAS
LAUGHED OFF THE NEW SANCTIONS
LEVIED ON HIM BY THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE U.S.
SHOULD DO?
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE OAS COULD
POTENTIALLY DO, AND OTHER
COUNTRIES, WHAT THEY SHOULD DO
IN A CONCRETE WAY, OTHER THAN
CONDEMNATION?
>> WELL, I REALLY FEEL THAT WE
ARE ALREADY LIVING SANCTIONS IN
VENEZUELA.
VENEZUELAN PEOPLE ARE UNDERGOING
THE WORST ECONOMIC SITUATION IN
HISTORY.
SO MADURO HAS TO BE BLAMED FOR
THE SUFFERING AND THE PAIN OF
VENEZUELAN PEOPLE.
MADURO HAS BUILT THIS SITUATION
OF ISOLATION OF VENEZUELA.
MADURO HAS BUILT THE RHETORIC OF
ANTI INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS
FOR VENEZUELA.
SO MADURO WANTS TO TRANSFORM
VENEZUELA IN ANOTHER CUBA.
SO WE ARE ALREADY LIVING IN A
SITUATION IN WHICH I THINK THAT
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO BE WORSE THAN
WHAT WE ARE LIVING NOW.
SO I THINK THAT OTHER COUNTRIES,
WHAT ARE DOING THIS -- ONLY
ANSWERING THE POLITICS OF MADURO
TO ISOLATE VENEZUELA.
>> HOW CAN THE SITUATION BE
SOLVED?
BECAUSE EVERYBODY
INTERNATIONALLY, IF YOU TALK
ABOUT THIS, IT'S ABSURD THAT A
COUNTRY AS RICH, AS CULL TOURED
AS VENEZUELA SHOULD BE IN THE
SITUATION IT'S IN RIGHT NOW.
>> WELL, FOR ME THE SOLUTION IS
EASY.
I AM NOT BEING SIMPLISTIC.
IT'S VERY EASY.
IT'S TO PUT VENEZUELAN PEOPLE,
THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO DO
THE ELECTIONS, TO FOLLOW THE
RULE OF THE CONSTITUTION, TO
HAVE REAL CHECK AND BALANCE IN
VENEZUELA.
TO HAVE THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN
RIGHTS.
TO RESPECT THE NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY.
SO IT HAS TO BE A REAL POLITICAL
WILL TO MAKE DEMOCRACY, TO
GOVERN VENEZUELA RIGHT NOW.
SO THE REAL SOLUTION, IT WILL BE
HEALED BY VENEZUELA THROUGH
ELECTIONS, THROUGH HUMAN RIGHTS,
THROUGH THE RECOGNITION OF EACH
OTHER.
>> JULIO, THANK YOU FOR JOINING
THE PROGRAM.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> NOW, OF COURSE, WE CONTINUE
TO ASK FOR INTERVIEWS WITH

Borges: Caracas arrests are 'anti-democratic'

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