The left-wing leader and former president of Uruguay, José 'Pepe' Mujica, has once again made headlines with his comments on the political situation in Venezuela. Mujica, known for his openness and humanistic approach, openly criticized Nicolás Maduro's government, pointing out its authoritarian tendencies and lack of freedom in the country.
He also questioned the Venezuelan government's recent actions, such as arresting activists and expelling human rights advocates.
“Pepe” Mujica criticizes the government of Nicolás Maduro
Mujica has made his position clear on the Maduro government, calling it authoritarian and comparing it to a dictatorship. “Venezuela has an authoritarian government that is going in the opposite direction,” Mujica said. He added that the Venezuelan government has excessively concentrated power in crisis situations, similar to a dictator in ancient Rome.
This criticism complements his earlier statements in which he acknowledged the country's authoritarian tendencies and defended personalities such as Luis AlmagroSecretary General of the OAS, who was the target of Chavismo attacks.
“Pepe” Mujica questioned the government of Nicolás Maduro. Photo: CNN
Mujica questioned the Venezuelan vice president
In addition to his criticism of the government in general, Mujica spoke specifically about the Vice President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguezfor his treatment of the Uruguayan president, Luis Lacalle Pou. Rodríguez called Lacalle Pou a “lackey” of the United States, a statement that Mujica found inappropriate.
“You can’t talk about the presidents of America like that,” Mujica said, stressing the importance of maintaining diplomatic respect between the countries.
The transition between Lacalle and Rodríguez comes after Uruguay summoned its ambassador to Venezuela, Eber da Rosa, for consultations on February 9, citing facts that “would make it impracticable” to hold free elections on Venezuelan territory this year .
Last Thursday, Uruguay, along with Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Paraguay, expressed in a statement “its deep concern at the arbitrary detention of (Venezuelan) human rights activist Rocío San Miguel” and the cessation of the activities of one UN office In Venezuela.
What did “Pepe” Mujica say about Venezuela’s economic model?
Mujica also addressed Venezuela's economic model, attributing some of the country's problems to its dependence on oil. According to the former president, this dependence has led to a lack of economic diversification and contributed to the current crisis.
In addition, he criticized Chavismo's management, pointing out that it had “destroyed” national work and left the country without sufficient internal food production. According to Mujica, this situation left Venezuela vulnerable and unable to respond to the decline in oil prices.
With information from AFP.