NO PYOL INVASION

“I assure you that as we have our Constituent National Assembly, there is no need for this fear of Venezuelans coming across here in droves. We will be able to have increased democratic participation, empowerment of people and increased economic development,” she said. The Ambassador articulated her concern that in the media, including the local press, “whenever they speak of the CNA, they say that President (Nicolas) Maduro is looking to rewrite the Constitution.” However she stressed this was not the case. Calderon explained, “The CNA process really seeks to entrench the achievements made in the 1999 Constitution. So it is not really just to change the Constitution.” She said because of the economic and social conditions in Venezuela, the Venezuelan people are, “aware of a need to entrench their constitutional guarantees and this has been the action of the people since the time of the revolution.”

MADURO SHIELDING THE RULE OF LAW

She said it was against this background Maduro activated Article 347 of the Venezuelan Constitution.

“He is actively looking to shield and shore up the rule of law in Venezuela and ensure the guarantee of the people because they are under siege,” Calderon said.

Article 347 states, “The original constituent power rests with the people of Venezuela. This power may be exercised by calling a National Constituent Assembly for the purpose of transforming the State, creating a new judicial order and drawing up a new Constitution.” The ambassador added under Article 348 of the Venezuelan Constitution, a CNA can be called either by the president or by the Venezuelan National Assembly.

In the case of the Assembly, twothirds of its members must vote for a CNA. Calderon found it curious why Venezuela’s opposition did not exercise this option, since it has the majority in the Assembly. She claimed the opposition did not do this because, “they are desirous of making this country ungovernable so that President Maduro would be ousted from office.” However Calderon said despite the opposition’s efforts, Venezuelans “turned out in their numbers” for a simulation of the CNA which was conducted by Venezuela’s National Electoral Council. She explained by law, the Council, “is responsible for the election calendar and is also the guarantor of the elections.” Calderon said in last Sunday’s simulation, 55,000 Venezuelans presented themselves as candidates for 537 posts in CNA.

DEMOCRACY BEING STRENGTHENED

She said after July 30, TT can be assured that, “we will be strengthening our democracy.” Calderon said what is being portrayed as a humanitarian crisis is actually a crisis in humanity, fuelled by internal and external forces opposed to Maduro. To underscore this point, she showed Sunday Newsday a copy of a bill which was laid in the US Senate on May 3 and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

That bill called for the provision of, “humanitarian assistance for the Venezuelan people, to defend the democratic governance and combat widespread public corruption in Venezuela, and for other purposes.” One of the people who introduced this bill was Republican Senator John McCain who was recently diagnosed with brain cancer.

Notwithstanding those efforts, Calderon is confident peace will be restored in Venezuela once the CNA is held. “We see what is going on as a ten-day wonder.” Saying the new constitution which will emerge will “shore up our economic and social development,” Calderon said TT citizens do not have to fear a flood of Venezuelans coming to this country to seek refuge. “Venezuela will be a net country receiving immigrants as opposed to a country that people are leaving. Even in the situation right now, which is not the best, we keep receiving Colombians for instance.” Calderon said in recent times some six million Colombian immigrants have gone to Venezuela which “has always had a policy of receiving immigrants with open arms.” Saying Spanish and Italian nationals have migrated to Venezuela, Calderon added, “We have some Trinidadians living in Venezuela, for many years, who are very happy, who have become part of our people.” However she did not indicate how many TT nationals reside in Venezuela.

Calderon said she is heartened by the position taken by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and his administration on attempts to undermine Maduro’s administration.

Upon his return from a State visit to Chile in June, Rowley called for the removal of Luis Almagro as secretary general of the Organisation of American States over his engagement of Maduro in a “derogatory” manner. Noting the longstanding diplomatic ties between TT and Venezuela, Calderon recalled the 500,000 barrels of crude oil sent to Venezuela in 2002 by then prime minister Patrick Manning (now deceased) to the then Hugo Chavez administration in the midst of coup in the South American nation.

VENEZUELA OWES TT

Calderon said Chavez (also deceased) said that gesture by Manning meant that Venezuela owed the people of TT, “500 years of loyalty and love.” She said, “Trinidadians and Tobagonians are brothers and sisters and not partners” and praised Caricom for its support for Venezuela and the stance of non-intervention which the regional body has adopted. Calderon is also grateful for the support Venezuela has received from the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM). In a statement on Friday, JTUM expressed its support for the CNA and denounced” any further attempt to disband it.

Calderon condemned statements made by United States President Donald Trump in support of a plebiscite held by the opposition which rejected Maduro’s call to hold a CNA. She said this plebiscite is illegitimate as it was not authorised by Venezuela’s National Electoral Council. In a statement dated July 17, Trump vowed the US “will take strong and swift economic sanctions” if the CNA takes place on July 30.

According to Calderon, Trump is a victim of the Venezuelan opposition which is trying to create a situation which would cause foreign intervention in Venezuela.

Last week, Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Moncada observed, “The trench that the government of the United States is digging in its relations with Venezuela makes it difficult to rationally predict its actions for the entire national community.” Describing the US as an empire which is in decline, Calderon said Trump’s statement was reflective of the double standards which the US takes in telling other countries how to solve their problems but is blind to problems within its own borders.

The Ambassador said dialogue was the only way to resolve the problems facing Venezuela today and this is something that Maduro has been calling tirelessly for.

Apart from Caricom, Calderon noted that support for Maduro’s call has come from Pope Francis, China and Russia. A BBC report Friday said millions of Venezuelans joined a general strike called by the opposition as pressure mounts on Maduro to cancel elections for the CNA.

The BBC reported clashes between police and protesters killed at least three people. More than 300 others were reportedly arrested.

Colombia, France, Spain, the US and the European Union have urged the Venezuelan government to cancel the vote for a new CNA.