*Venezuela, pres. Maduro announced measures to face fascist groups
*Authorities hold extremist groups responsible for violent acts
*FAR-RIGHT opposition does not recognize electoral results
*Authorities hold extremist groups responsible for violent acts
*FAR-RIGHT opposition does not recognize electoral results
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NewsTranscript
00:00We are now joined by Manolo De Los Santos, Executive Director of the People's Forum,
00:03to have a deeper analysis of what is happening in Venezuela.
00:07Welcome Manolo, too, from the South.
00:10Thank you for having me.
00:11It's a pleasure.
00:12Manolo, how can we analyze what is happening right now in Venezuela?
00:17Well, I think what is taking place in Venezuela right now has to be understood simply as a
00:24dangerous coup attempt being sponsored by the United States government with the attempt
00:30to overthrow a democratically elected government.
00:34The far-right opposition in Venezuela is desperately using old tactics, from using the Guarimbas
00:42of 2017 to now using an even more desperate tactic of self-declaring a presidency-elect
00:50without actually having any data, any official information or vote tallies to prove it.
01:00International organizations like the Discreted Organization of American States, government
01:04figures like in Peru and Argentina strongly claim that there is fraud, but do not provide
01:09any substantial evidence.
01:10What is your assessment regarding the results provided by the electoral authority in Venezuela
01:16and the electoral process as a whole?
01:20Well, I think we have to point out to the fact that Venezuela's national election authority,
01:25the CNE, has an experience of over two decades in running fair and transparent elections,
01:32elections in which the opposition members themselves have won seats in the National
01:37Assembly, have won governor's races, have won at multiple levels.
01:42When they have won, their votes have been recognized.
01:46So to claim all of a sudden that this election in particular somehow was fraudulent, despite
01:51there being the same system in place, a system that requires multiple verification of voters,
01:58a system that in fact is audited, at least 54% of all votes are audited, is just ridiculous
02:06and illogical.
02:07And all the numbers, all the independent exit polls that are being claimed by the opposition
02:14as proof, have no real legitimacy or credibility.
02:18In fact, we now know that these exit polls are in fact also being sponsored and funded
02:23by the United States government.
02:25So ultimately, we have to respect the data and the authority of Venezuela's election
02:31system.
02:32After not recognizing the electoral results and proclaiming themselves winners, as you
02:37say previously, the far-right opposition has called for protests, which have led to images
02:41of criminal acts.
02:42The government has called this out as a planned escalation of violence.
02:46What is the situation in the streets according to your assessment?
02:50Well, today, this morning, the streets have woken up quite calm.
02:56I would say that you no longer see the presence of these violent groups across the city.
03:02But that was not the case two days ago.
03:04And in fact, I witnessed myself, these violent groups traversing the city, engaging in violent
03:10acts, attacking communes, attacking public squares, taking down public statues, and in
03:17a sense trying to create such a situation of chaos and violence that it would necessitate,
03:23as many of them have called for openly already, for a U.S. military invasion, which would
03:29not only not solve the democratic situation in the country, but would in fact bring even
03:34more violence and more death for the Venezuelan people.
03:38What is the final goal of this far-right sector that are promoting violence and hate
03:41in Venezuela?
03:42What real interests are behind all of this?
03:46Well, I think that's a very important question, because we have to clarify that the interests
03:51of the far-right opposition are not really the interests of the Venezuelan people.
03:56It's really the interest of Washington.
03:57It's really the interest of the United States government that for over two decades have
04:02tried multiple times, through multiple means, to take over Venezuela, to take control of
04:10Venezuela's vast oil resources for its own needs.
04:13And at this moment, in which the U.S. has sanctioned Russia, has sanctioned Iran, its
04:19needs for oil are even greater than ever before.
04:22Therefore, we have to be weary of the so-called claims for transparency and democracy coming
04:28from the far-right opposition, because this has never really been their true objectives.
04:33Thank you very much, Manolo, for your time here and from the South, and for your inputs
04:37in this important moment.
04:40Thank you for having me.
04:41It's our pleasure.