Three Opposition Legislators Withdraw Support, Allege Plans to not Recognise Venezuelan Election Results

Merida, March 26^th 2013 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – Three opposition substitute legislators, Ricardo Sanchez, Carlos Vargas, and Andres Avelino announced publically yesterday that they were withdrawing their support for opposition candidate Henrique Capriles.

Sanchez, substitute legislator for Maria Corina Machado, alleged that the opposition alliance MUD have plans to not recognise the 14 April election results, and criticised Capriles’ campaign team for “encouraging a climate of instability and violence, where the terrible and painful consequence …intensifies the perverse division between Venezuelans”.

Sanchez said he wanted to prevent opposition students from being used like “cannon fodder” as part of the supposed MUD plan.

He also called on the parliamentary committee for internal politics to investigate the alleged plan.

“The country demands responsibility from those who hold a government position, that’s why we’re withdrawing our support for Henrique Capriles,” Sanchez said.

In response to a question from a private media journalist over if he had received money to withdraw his support, Sanchez responded, “It’s not me who has been caught on video receiving cheques”. He was referring to an incident last year in which an opposition supporter was filmed receiving illegal campaign funds.

The moves by the opposition supporters follow clashes last week between opposition students, police, and Chavistas outside the National Electoral Council (CNE). They also follow weeks of comments by opposition leaders and press claiming the CNE isn’t “transparent and fair”.

Sanchez defected from the MUD coalition last November at the start of the campaign for the regional elections. He left with three other legislators, and at the time criticised the MUD for its internal decision making mechanisms, and “failure” to learn from political mistakes.