Ten million signatures Long lines in Caracas: Venezuelans support peace call Maduros
By André Scheer
Signature lists are also available in the Embassy of Venezuela (Schillstr. 10, 10785 Berlin) and can be signed during regular opening hours (Mon-Fri from 9 to 12 and 14 to 17)
Long lines run through the center of the Venezuelan capital Caracas. Hundreds of people wait patiently for their turn. But there are no foodstuffs on the tables covered with red cloth on the Plaza Bolívar. People sign an appeal for peace and against foreign interference.
At the initiative of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro participated in the 6. In February a large-scale petition began. The aim is for ten million people to express their desire for peace and the rejection of foreign interference. Just one day after the start of the collection, state media reported that two million signatures had already been collected. Since then, the collection continues unabated throughout the country.
Most of the people in the queues are moving the fear of further escalating the conflict. Questions from journalists, whether they receive any consideration for their signature, they reject. One man tells a Spanish journalist in the video camera that, for example, there are pensions and free health care, which would be paid from the oil and gas revenues of Venezuela. He signed that state funds would continue to benefit the population.
By the opposition politician Juan Guaidó, who participated in the 23. January declared himself a "transitional president", people expect nothing at the Plaza Bolívar. He sees them as a simple puppet of US President Donald Trump, and wants nothing more than access to the natural resources of Venezuela. Thousands of people gathering on Tuesday at an opposition rally on Avenida Francisco de Miranda in the Chacao middle-class district, see things differently. But even among Maduro's opponents there is growing dissatisfaction with Guaidó, who has been recognized by dozens of governments in America and Europe, but still has no real power in Venezuela itself. Therefore, he tries to keep his followers with ever new announcements at the bar. Now on the 23. February "either way" the "humanitarian aid" will be brought to Venezuela, which is located in the Colombian border town of Cucuta. He counted on 150.000 "volunteers" who had reported on opposition websites to participate in the distribution of "humanitarian aid."
For Guaidó the 23. February be the last chance to score with the population. It is feared, however, that radical opposition forces will prepare provocations by that date to provide images of violence.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council is preparing another debate on the situation in Venezuela, for which the US and Russia want to submit content-related resolutions. While Washington intends to enforce a declaration of support for Venezuela's opposition and calls for new elections in the most influential United Nations body, the draft from Moscow expresses concerns over foreign interference in the South American country's internal affairs. The Security Council should support all initiatives that support a political solution found by the Venezuelans. " Whether and when the documents will be put to the vote in New York is open.
China has a report on Wednesday Wall Street Journal Rejected that Beijing's negotiators had met Guaidó representatives in Washington to discuss the safety of Chinese investment in Venezuela. "The report is false, that's fake news," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.
young world, 14. February 2019