Venezuela has two choices with regard to its political and economic future, declared Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“Option one is to truly enter into a period of both reconciliation and reformation so that they can have elections that result not just in a democratically elected government but an enduring republic. And that gives them the opportunity to prosper economically.” And many of the 6-7 million people who have fled can actually come back and live in their country again.
“The way you do it peacefully is through a process, and it’s the one we’ve set up.” Indeed, Venezuela just completed its fourth round of talks on the transition and reconciliation process. “The alternative,” warned Secretary Rubio, “is going to be either violence and armed conflict within the country, or back to the way things have been for the last 20 years, which have not been good for the people of Venezuela.”
“So, from our point of view, this is the only process, it’s the only game in town. This process has to work,” said Secretary Rubio.
“My interest here is ensuring that Venezuela can have a functioning republic with a system of laws where there’s an opposition but there’s also a majority party; people every four years go vote ... for a new National Assembly, for new presidents ... and an economy that has an opportunity to succeed.”
“And I want all that to happen without bloodshed,” said Secretary Rubio. “I want all that to happen without civil war. I want all that to happen without getting back into an endless cycle of sanctions and threats. ... And we’re trying to give that process a chance to work, and this is the closest we’ve ever been.”
But in order to hold free and fair elections the current infrastructure, which was designed by the Nicolas Maduro regime to rig elections, must be replaced. You can’t have a legitimate election in Venezuela when the Electoral Council is controlled by people loyal to one side. Nor can you have a legitimate election with a supreme court that is fully politicized and willing to rule that anything the regime wants is legal. The election infrastructure must be reformed quickly under the timelines that we’ve established, said Secretary Rubio. “And I think we’re making real progress in that regard.”
The United States’ goal remains to give Venezuela the best chance possible to have an enduring republic.