As Venezuelan Ambassador to St. Lucia, Leiff Escalona, awaits government’s decision on its proposed imposition of visa restrictions on Venezuelans, she is pointing to the calm now prevailing in Venezuela following the election of a National Constituent Assembly (NCA).
Escalona, who two weeks ago sought to explain to St. Lucians that the July 30 elections were fair and democratic, said the condemnation received prior to the elections was something orchestrated by forces inside and outside Venezuela and that the majority of Venezuelans were in support of the NCA.
She said the calm now being experienced in Venezuela is testimony to what her government had been preaching all along: that the violence experienced in the country over the past few months was engineered by the coalition of opposition parties.
The Ambassador said more than 8 million voters participated in the call to elect the 545 representatives of the NCA, which is enshrined in the nation’s Constitution.
“In 18 years of the Bolivarian Revolution, there have been 21 elections, which shows the strength of our National Electoral Council and the democratic nature and electoral power in our country,” Escalona said.
She added that the NCA was the only viable option President Nicolas Madura had at his disposal since it was impossible for him to establish political dialogue with the opposition.
Escalona said that since the elections, there have been no demonstrations or terrorist acts, neither on the streets of Caracas or the other municipalities.
“What has now emerged after regaining calm throughout the country is the growing economic war and the threats of the United States and other countries that want to rupture the constitutional order in Venezuela,” Escalona said.
According to her, all opposition parties returned to the democratic route and are now registered to participate in the next regional elections.
With regards to information emanating from recognized news services like the BBC, CNN, AP, and others, Escalona discredited it all, saying they all were painting negatives about Venezuela.
These news services, she said, gave information claiming that dozens of people were killed by Venezuelan troops during months of political protests against the government, that there was concern over a growing humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, and that Venezuela’s economy was collapsing because of mismanagement by Maduro’s government, causing shortages of basic consumer products that have sent inflation soaring.
“All they continue to repeat are all untruths, fabrications which they want the international public to believe. Everything is a lie. There is no humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. The persons who have died were as a result of the opposition forces creating chaos and fabricating destruction so that the international media can spin the events, pretending that the government is responsible for this mayhem. Their aim is to overthrow the government,” Escalona said.
She described as preposterous U.S. President Donald Trump expressing concern over the so- called humanitarian crisis and threatening military action as a response.
“The National Constituent Assembly was conducted and was able to accomplish what it set out to do — represent the voice of the people of Venezuela — and in the process restore peace to the homeland. This is where the true feeling and desire of the Venezuelan people is reflected,” Escalona said.
