Venezuela

Maduro, Step Aside for Democracy in Venezuela

Despite authoritarian pressure, the Venezuelan people voted overwhelmingly for Edmundo González Urrutia and against the dictator Nicolás Maduro. Yet, Maduro refuses to acknowledge his defeat. Liberal opposition leader María Corina Machado has called for global protests. In Berlin, Karl-Heinz Paqué, Chairman of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, and Deputy President of the Liberal International, urged the international community in a speech to increase pressure on the authoritarian regime to enable a peaceful transition to democracy.

The overwhelming majority of Venezuelans voted for Edmundo González Urrutia and against dictator Nicolás Maduro. This election was more than just a vote—it was a historic act of resistance. It demonstrated the unyielding will of the Venezuelan people to determine their own future.

The opposition achieved the impossible and showed the world that the voice of the people cannot and must not be silenced, even in an authoritarian system! Maduro is using every means to steal the election. His regime refuses to acknowledge the truth.

The Struggle for Truth

This is not an ideological battle; it is a fight for truth. ¡Hoy, la lucha es por la verdad!

1. Edmundo González won the election with 67% of the vote, while Nicolás Maduro received only 30%.
2. The opposition mobilized over a million volunteers to document and monitor the election results. The brave "Comanditos" waited late into the night to obtain the official election documents. Documents from over 83.5% of polling stations were collected and published.
3. Maduro has not acknowledged his defeat and has stolen the election. There are numerous indications of electoral fraud, such as the interruption of result transmission and alleged cyberattacks from North Macedonia. The election council, under Maduro's control, has not published a single election document despite repeated demands from both the Venezuelan people and the international community.
4. The technical election observation mission of the Carter Center stated that "the election cannot be considered democratic." It cannot confirm the results declared by the Maduro-controlled National Electoral Council (CNE).
5. The latest UN report confirms the authenticity of the documents published by the opposition.

It's Time for a New Chapter

Maduro is now revealing his true nature: resorting to increasingly brutal methods to maintain his power. At least 24 people have been killed, and over 2,200 people have been arrested and sent to "reeducation camps." This is reminiscent of the worst excesses of the communist Cultural Revolution in China. Homes of regime critics are being marked for public denunciation and to spread fear.

It is our responsibility to raise our voices. We must not tire of drawing public attention to the situation in Venezuela.

We do not forget the political prisoners in "El Helicoide" prison. We do not forget the weeping mothers searching for their missing children. We do not forget the over one hundred minors who have been imprisoned in the last two weeks.  We do no forget them! ¡No los olvidamos!

The democratization of Venezuela must not and should not be thwarted by Maduro. Our message is clear:

Maduro, step aside for democracy in Venezuela! Maduro, clear the way for an end to the socialist Bolivarian misery!

Only the publication of verifiable election results can provide the basis for negotiations and a peaceful transition.

María Corina Machado put it well:

We reaffirm our solidarity with the Venezuelan people! The people want to close the chapter of Bolivarian socialism. Negotiations must begin that lead to a genuine transition so that Venezuela can become a liberal democracy, based on freedom, justice, and human dignity. This is the great desire in Venezuela.

What happens in Venezuela concerns all of us as democrats. The world is currently preoccupied with many crises, but this is precisely what Maduro is counting on. We cannot let this calculation succeed.

What Needs to Be Done?

1. Germany and the EU must recognize Edmundo González as the elected president. There must be no further delay. It must be clear that the decision-makers in the Venezuelan regime face personal consequences and sanctions.
2. We must speak clearly and firmly with our friends in Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico. We support the mediation initiatives of the presidents of Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico. However, they must aim for an orderly transition to democracy. Europe must make this clear to them.
3. The call for a repeat election is absurd and a clear attack on democracy. It only shows that the last hours of the regime are numbered.

Enough is enough with this authoritarian regime. Let us continue to stand in solidarity with Venezuela—in the name of freedom and democracy!

For a free Venezuela until the end! ¡Por una Venezuela libre hasta el final!