Edmundo González and María Corina Machado did not know about President Gustavo Petro’s proposal on a plebiscite in Venezuela: what happened?

The concern of President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, by Venezuelan elections on July 28 are such that he leader He proposed a plebiscite proposal to give guarantees to the winners of the election.

According to the criteria of

That proposal, however, did not transcend nor was it executed and, according to information collected by this newspaper, it remained in discussions at the Colombian embassy in Caracas.

Sources assured EL TIEMPO that the proposal was in the same line as the agreements signed between the Government of Nicolás Maduro and the opposition in Mexico. and in Barbados, which in summary focused on electoral guarantees and respect for the results of the July 28 vote.

And although it was speculated that Petro had in his hands the draft of the proposal worked on by his ambassador in Caracas, Milton Rengifo, this was denied by the Colombian Foreign Minister, Luis Gilberto Murillo.

“President Petro made a proposal whose detailed content we do not know. We have had an encounter with them on more than one occasion.”

Added to this is now a statement from the opposition in Caracas, represented by María Corina Machado and the candidate Edmundo González, which assures that Although they participated in the meetings with Ambassador Rengifo, they were not aware of the text either.

“President Petro made a proposal whose detailed content we do not know. On more than one occasion we have had a meeting with them (Ambassador Rengifo and Foreign Minister Murillo), we have reiterated that we can give our opinion when we have knowledge of the content of the proposal but until now we do not have it,” Edmundo González answered a question asked. by this newspaper in Caracas.

Machado added that “it was the same chancellor who said that there was no such draft. “We have the same information that is public.”

In recent days, the opposition candidate Luis Eduardo Martínez also told this newspaper that the proposal did not prosper because the time was not right. This because of The proposal was made “untimely” and in the country there are steps to follow to be able to advance what would be a consultative referendum.

María Corina Machado: ‘They are neither free elections nor fair elections’

This Saturday, Machado and González participated in a forum organized in Caracas in which a hundred young people committed to defending the vote on July 28.. For the two opposition figures, the participation of youth is essential and they appreciated the interest shown in the elections.

During the forum, the young people assured that “this is the last opportunity” they have to recover the country, otherwise they will have to migrate or continue “living in socialism.”

Machado assured that “the 25-year cycle has come to an end and the country is ready for change.” But he warned that 43 days before the elections we must be more vigilant, especially in defending the votes because these “are neither free elections nor are they fair elections.”

The opposition also assured that the international community is aware of what is happening in Venezuela, so much so that the G7 leaders spoke out.

María Corina Machado and Edmundo González denounce the disappearance of activists

In the conversation, Machado and González They also spoke about the disappearance since Friday in the state of La Guaira of Juan Iriarte, coordinator of Vente Venezuela, Machado’s organization; journalist Luis López and Jean Carlos Rivas from the Voluntad Popular party.

“I would like to begin this intervention by sending a message of solidarity to the three young people who are detained for having accompanied us in the Maiquetía event,” said González Urrutia when starting the conversation with the young people.

The candidate, who until now has an advantage over Maduro, assured that they should not fall into triumphalism because the regime will continue taking actions to weaken them.

When asked what the number of votes should be so that the Government “does not claim fraud,” González insisted that one should not put a number, but rather focus on getting as many votes as possible.

During the conversation, the young people also took the opportunity to ask questions to Machado and González, describing them as “the leader” and the “candidate.”

The most frequent concern of young people focused on whether or not they will have a guarantee of a future in the country, since they do not want to go to work in the mines or have to migrate. Machado and González assured that if they win the elections, “socialism will be left behind” and they will be able to recover the country.

González recalled that he always studied in public education and that quality must be restored so that young people can work for the country.

ANA MARÍA RODRÍGUEZ BRAZÓN – EL TIEMPO CORRESPONDENT – CARACAS