Venezuela’s opposition, grouped in the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD)proposed this Sunday a national agreement in which he reiterates a transition for the country through negotiations and free elections.
“A peaceful, orderly and sustainable transition for Venezuela based on the construction of conditions that allow effective negotiation and the holding of free, competitive and verifiable elections with priority in the presidential elections,” read activist and former political prisoner Biagio Pilieri on behalf of the PUD.
In a YouTube broadcast, the coalition also agreed to recognize and support the leadership of María Corina Machadoaccording to the EFE agency. She has been outside Venezuela since last December. Additionally, he participates in the fight for “freedom and the recovery of democracy in Venezuela” alongside Edmundo González Urrutia. The latter has been exiled since 2024 after facing Nicolás Maduro in the presidential elections that year.
In these agreements, the opposition coalition also demanded the full freedom of political prisoners, who number 322 according to the NGO Foro Penal. Likewise, they demanded the safe return of the exiles. Finally, they called for the “cessation of political persecution and the dismantling of the national repressive apparatus.”
María Corina Machado and Edmundo González participated virtually
The PUD made these proposals considering that Venezuela “is going through a deep political, economic and social crisis.” This situation requires the recovery of democracy, the restitution of the constitutional order, the strengthening of the rule of law and full respect for human rights.
Machado, who participated virtually, called for progress in this PUD agreement. In addition, he asked all Venezuelans to commit to “restore that liberal and democratic republic”.
“We are now at the beginning of a new era. We are finally going to make the long-awaited liberal democratic republic that our founding fathers dreamed of around those values a reality,” he stated.
For his part, González Urrutia indicated that This agreement “ratifies the legitimate and sovereign will of Venezuelans to live under the most basic democratic normality.”and expresses the commitment of those who subscribe to it to work together on the same route.”
“The process of building this great national agreement is and will be the product of a broad popular consultation with the participation of a wide plurality of political forces that, together, represent the entire nation,” said the opposition leader in his virtual participation.
The PUD proposal is made when Chavismo and a sector of the opposition maintain a cycle of dialogue supported by the United States. Machado and González Urrutia do not participate directly in this dialogue. This process seeks to reach agreements on political and civil guarantees in view of an eventual electoral process.
