The struggle for political power in Venezuela has left only one winner over the past 20 years: Chavism. The opposition in this country has tried in many ways to displace from the Miraflores Palace the political force that has emerged since the arrival of Hugo Chávez in 1999, but when time seemed to work in favor of the adversaries, circumstances ended up consolidating the so-called Bolivarian Revolution.

In 2019, a year of economic crisis that included the break in food and medicine, the Venezuelans that apostaban has gone through a change, and in medio del conflicto político, a new figure and desconocida arose to revive the protests and the capital from the country. Juan Guaidó has become Nicolás Maduro’s biggest rival.

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On January 5, 2019, the National Assembly elected in 2015 (one of the most significant achievements of the opposition) announced that Guaidó, a deputy from the Voluntad Popular party, founded by Leopoldo López, would assume the presidency of parliament. At that time, in the corridors of the legislative palace, opinions were divided as to the designation which would be submitted to the plenary, since the young man, in addition to being little known, was not everyone’s favorite.

The legislature had already declared the presidential seat vacant in Miraflores, ignoring the 2018 elections in which Maduro won a new term. The columns and halls of the palace designed by Luciano Urdaneta, son of the hero Rafael Urdaneta, it was heard that the idea was to replace Maduro with the speaker of parliament, in accordance with article 233 of the Constitution.

(Also read: Juan Guaidó: the Venezuelan opposition demands to eliminate the figure of the “interim government”)

“Where the absolute absence of the President-elect or the President-elect occurs before taking office, a new universal, direct and secret election shall take place within the following thirty consecutive days. While the new President or the new President is elected and enters into office, the president of the National Assembly will assume the presidency of the Republic,” reads article 233.

A) Yes, Guaidó began to gain relevance and citizens began to repeat his name. Since the 2017 protests, the opposition has remained silent. But it felt like waking up.

With several demonstrations, an activation of international pressure against Maduro and his government, advisers behind Guaidó, journalists and private photographers, scenes and the promise of change, a slogan emerged which quickly became the slogan “stop the usurpation, transitional government and free elections”, an offer that has won over thousands of Venezuelans.

So happened January 23, 2019. Thousands of people again took to the streets of Caracas and parts of the country. On Francisco de Mirada Avenue in the municipality of Chacao, a large stage occupied almost the entire width of the road. There, after noon, the deputies arrived, then Guaidó.

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“Today, January 23, I officially take the oath as interim president of Venezuela,” Guaidó said in front of the thousands of people who symbolically took the oath with him, shouting with emotion. Alongside the hitherto deputy, the faces of Stalin González and Édgar Zambrano, vice-presidents of parliament, are surprised by what seems to be a well-kept secret.

“Nobody in the team knew until then. We understand that he was consulted with the United States, all within hours,” he said in a manner. in private at EL TIEMPO a member of Guaidó’s team.

Immediately after Guaidó was sworn in, the United States recognized the “new president”, followed by countries such as Colombia, Canada, Argentina and around 50 others. This led to the expulsion of the United States Embassy in Caracas and the withdrawal of the Colombian diplomatic delegation..

(Can read: Venezuela recorded inflation of 21.9% in November, the highest figure of the year)

International pressure increased, street protests and discontent against the government. Nicolás Maduro has limited his appearances, already diminished since 2018 when he suffered an attack with a drone during a public event.

January 23 – the day when democracy is celebrated in the country – was followed by February 23. From Colombia, on the other side of the border, trucks loaded with medicines would pass as part of a humanitarian operation. A concert called “Venezuela Aid Live” aimed to raise funds for Venezuelans.

Guaidó crossed the border to Cúcuta and appeared at the concert attended by Juanes, Chyno and Nacho, Paulina Rubio and even Miguel Bosé. However, since the day before, we were talking about the scandal of one of his assistants, Freddy Superlano, who according to his own version, was drugged and taken to a motel with his cousin, who died of an overdose.

This February 23 was followed by April 30. The so-called Operation Freedom. At 5 a.m., Guaidó appeared on social media in a video with Leopoldo López, who was imprisoned in his house. They claimed it was the day of the change of government.

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The soldiers guarding the parliament were those who appeared with López and Guaidó. Around the La Carlota military base, they were waiting with their weapons and a few baskets of bananas. Supposedly on that day, the military high command would cooperate and hand over Maduro. None of this happened.

“The Bolivarian National Armed Forces is an institution of the Venezuelan state that demands a respectful approach that allows us to build networks of trust that encourage political change. The boss and the blunders – like what happened in Cúcuta and on April 30 – took us away from the National Armed Forces,” Julio Borges wrote in his latest book, titled “The Coming Homeland”.

This April 30, hundreds of people went to La Carlota, many discovered the news while going to work. Others shouted from their vehicles. As the hours passed, some asked to go to Miraflores. But shortly after noon, Guaidó and Leopoldo withdrew from the rally.

(Also read: Venezuela: Plasencia leaves the Colombian embassy and his replacement is unknown)

“Given Guaidó’s opportunity and the unachieved goal of democratic change for Venezuela, we are now entering a new chapter. An unprecedented chapter in our struggle for freedom,” says Borges, who was foreign minister in that interim government led by Guaidó and who managed to appoint ambassadors to more than 10 countries, including Colombia and the United States. United.

Borges believes that the fact that this “government” manages a budget, maintains the wage bill “and the use of money as a mechanism of power, has penetrated the opposition to this day. This measure has distorted the practice of politics, commercialized activism and weakened us. We have lost the north.”

This interim succeeded in “saving” certain Venezuelan assets abroad. Like the gold that is in England and the control of Petróleos de Venezuela’s subsidiary, Citgo, in the United States, this is also where Monomeros entered, today almost returned to the Venezuelan government by its Colombian counterpart. However, in the latter, the corruption scandals of the board of directors appointed by the government in charge, tarnish the whole management.

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Now, nearly four years later, Guaidó insists the interim must continue, but with 72 votes, opposition MPs have called for an end to this government that is calling for a renewal on 5 January, date on which the authorities of the National Assembly. However, in 2020 a parliament was elected, which, although questioned, has a Chavista majority and legislates from the Capitol.

“He should have disappeared a long time ago,” a former parliamentarian who helped build the interim government told EL TIEMPO but preferred not to reveal his name. But warn that “Overseas goods should be handled by an international commission, not the G4.” The G4 is the grouping of the parties Acción Democrática, Primero Justicia, Un Nuevo Tiempo and Voluntad Popular, only the latter supports the continuity of Guaidó.

“In practice, what has been seen is the nation’s public money dancing in the hands of people who have never given an answer on what the nation’s reais have been invested in,” says political scientist Rommer Ytriago, who insists he is not about to judge but to see what happened.

Ytriago recalls that, for example, for vaccination due to the pandemic, it was the alliances with China and Russia that allowed a vaccination program in the country, since the interim insisted that the Covax mechanism of the Pan American Health Organization is not run by the Maduro government.

“This interim stoppage must have come a long time ago when the objectives were not achieved,” insists Ytriago.

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In the vote carried out by the parliament led by Guaidó, only 23 deputies were in favor of its continuity and 9 abstained. “The Constitution and its art. 233 are not an option or just a strategy, they are essential and we will continue to defend it. People chose us for that. It’s not about defending a person, but the tools we have to protect Venezuelans, we owe them,” he wrote on Twitter.

(Keep reading: Venezuela: unequal economic growth between social classes)

The second vote is scheduled for December 29 the one who will ultimately decide whether Guaidó takes the post of interim president for another year, now without important allies like Colombia, Brazil or Argentina.

Questions also remain, such as how the opposition will regroup before the arrival of presidential elections in 2024. What will happen to the management of assets abroad? Who will be the strong figure in the Mexico negotiations? And finally, what will happen to Juan Guaidó?

ANA RODRIGUEZ BRAZON
WEATHER CORRESPONDENT
CARACAS