It has been very difficult to explain the transcendence of the citizens' expression that took place from December 7 to 12, 2020. More than the mere name to which those who have interests different from those of the Venezuelan people want to reduce it, the Popular Consultation represents the desire and at the same time the mandate of a people, addressed to all Venezuelans, but especially to those who claim to be their political representatives. To say contemptuously "the consultation was useless" not only ignores the very essence of the democratic expression of a people, but also the consequences that such expression has in a society that wishes to live in democracy.
When we say that the powers have their main source in the vote of the citizens, it is because when we put a thermometer to the will of the people and measure its expression, from the results of such measurement we decide who will lead the destiny of all by giving them the power to make decisions on our behalf. It is exactly the same when we decide issues by consulting the citizens. The people decide. That is the principle of democracy.
Venezuelans have decided to live in democracy despite the fact that those who lead the country have subjugated it by force of arms. But even when this is so by force of facts, reason continues to assist those of us who believe that it is the majorities who decide, and those decisions are not erased because someone has a gun to prevent it. The first ones who must be convinced of that are the democrats, those of us who believe in the democratic principle.
If the will of the majority of Venezuelans was manifested in a Popular Consultation, called in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, to demand that Maduro and his regime must leave power so that free, transparent and verifiable elections can take place, it would be wrong for anyone who calls himself a democrat to call for any electoral process before that same will is satisfied. That is an irrefutable logic.
However, the enemies of the Popular Consultation, who by the way are mostly not on the sidewalk of the regime but of the "opposition", continue insisting that the Consultation "was useless" because the regime of Nicolás Maduro Moros did not collapse the day after the results were produced. Well, Venezuelans must understand that if we follow the logic behind these results, it is NOT POSSIBLE for anyone to call any election after December 12, 2020 before the regime leaves power, this being the first result of the Popular Consultation. And those who do so are accomplices of the regime of Nicolás Maduro Moros.
The above makes illegitimate the call that the political factors of the regime and its opposition are deceitfully making to Venezuelans. There are already rudely lists of candidates for Governors ignoring what was expressed by Venezuelans in December as if that had not happened. Be careful with that! The same thing that happened to Maduro on May 20, 2018 and December 6, 2020 may happen to them. We will disregard any electoral process that takes place with Maduro in power, outside the mandate of the Popular Consultation.
This first result (or rather consequence) of the Popular Consultation disqualifies ANY national and international negotiations leading to elections with the incumbent regime, and that should such negotiations take place, the first condition for sitting down with anyone must be that Maduro and his regime step aside from power, in strict obedience to the will expressed by the people from December 7 to 12, 2020. Of this the International Community SHOULD be informed, and especially the European Union and its Contact Group, who are again requesting another round of talks with a view to produce elections with the regime of Nicolás Maduro Moros. And as we know that the political parties are involved in this abroad, we are already requesting the presence of a recognized and qualified representation of the Civil Society in any possible negotiation that may be initiated, with the intermediation of the International Community, outside the mandate of the Venezuelan people.
The other result of the Popular Consultation, even without anyone doing absolutely nothing after the popular will was expressed from December 7 to 12, 2020, is the decision of the people that ANY Venezuelan has the supreme authorization (and I say SUPREME because it comes from the highest authority in any democracy) to manage whatever is necessary to protect Venezuelans from crimes against Humanity and to stop the outrages of the regime.
And this is perfectly logical. Not only politicians have that responsibility but any conscious Venezuelan, whether or not vested with authority, as stated in Article 333 of the Constitution. If anyone has for any circumstance the power to move whatever is necessary to help the millions of Venezuelans in need in our country, the people decided to give him/her the power to manage what is necessary to do so. From a small civic protest to a military invasion if they deem it convenient. Hence, those who believe that the latter can be a solution to the problem have since December 12 the constitutional authorization of the Venezuelan people. Enough of asking it through social networks to Guaidó or anyone else; you can now move yourselves concretely to achieve it because you already have the mandate of the only one who can authorize such a thing. And this is not rhetorical.
And for those who think that I am calling for unleashing violence in Venezuela, I tell them that they are wrong. I am only enlightening them about the possible implications and repercussions of what the Venezuelan people determined with the Popular Consultation and enlightening them that what was resolved from December 7 to 12, 2020 is not a mere declaration without implications. It is the determination of the Venezuelan people to go to the ultimate consequences just for that mandate.
Someone will always come out arguing: "but that Popular Consultation is not binding", as it was already wielded by the same National Assembly of 2017 when it intemperately decided not to abide by the mandate of the people on July 16 of that year. To those I say to finish understanding the participatory nature of the 1999 Constitution, where the essence of Article 5 (Article 4 of the previous 1961 Constitution) was modified, which explains how Sovereignty is exercised as of 1999: "Sovereignty resides non-transferably in the people, who exercise it directly in the manner provided for in this Constitution and the law. ...", and the form foreseen in the Constitution, specifically in Article 70, is the following: "The following are means of participation and protagonism of the people in the exercise of their sovereignty, in the political sphere: the election of public offices, the referendum, the popular consultation...". Then, Venezuelans exercising our Sovereignty decided what was expressed in the 3 questions of the Popular Consultation held from December 7 to 12, 2020.
All of the above is in the sense of illustrating to my dear readers that this Popular Consultation is already operating without us having yet lifted a finger to make effective in practice the mandate that emanates from it, beyond demanding its respect and compliance and informing everyone about it. That will come at some point that I do not have to explain. Only those of us who are willing to comply with it should now be thinking about the different concrete mechanisms for the displacement of the regime in accordance with the mandate emanated by the Popular Consultation. Some of us are thinking about it in a peaceful and constitutional way. Others perhaps not so much. But the important thing is that the constitutional instrument and the supreme mandate of the Venezuelan people already exist, with all its implications. It will be up to each one of us to make it happen...
Caracas, February 15, 2021
Blog: http://ticsddhh.blogspot.com/
Email: luismanuel.aguana@gmail.com
Twitter:@laguana
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