Govt, ruling party roast Venezuela’s opposition over deadly unrest

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2015, 20:59 by GxMedia

The Guyana government and the ruling Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) have issued strongly worded statements against Venezuela’s political opposition, accusing them of destabilizing the Nicolas Maduro administration.

“The Government of Guyana stands in solidarity with the Government of Venezuela and fully supports its efforts at withstanding acts of destabilisation,” said the Foreign Ministry in a statement issued at the weekend.

The administration of President Donald Ramotar expressed grave concern over what it described as “the escalating political unrest” in the neighbouring Spanish-speaking country.

Expressing regret that recent incidents have resulted in the loss of innocent lives, the Guyana government hoped that peace and normalcy will soon prevail in Venezuela.

The positions came as sections of Venezuela’s security forces, former military personnel and civilians have been pushing their country’s claim to Essequibo back on the political front burner. The BBC reported that United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, has issued a statement expressing concern by the rising tensions in Venezuela. “We are particularly alarmed by reports that the Venezuelan government has arrested or detained scores of anti-government protestors and issued an arrest warrant for opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez,” read the statement.

One day later on Saturday, the PPP was even more strident in its statement, accusing the opposition parties and foreign agents of being involved in a plot to topple the incuimbent administration.

“The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) extends solidarity with the Government and people of Venezuela in what appeared to be a well orchestrated attempt by the opposition parties with backing from local and overseas reactionary groups to destabilize the democratically elected Maduro administration from office,” stated the party.

Condemning in the “strongest possible terms” the loss of innocent lives by “provocateurs whose only objective is the reverse the clock of history and restore the old order based on privileges for the wealthy class at the expense of the poor and the downtrodden, the PPP urged the Venezuelan opposition to eschew violence.;

“The Party calls on the opposition forces to respect the will and the democratic aspirations of the Venezuelan people and to desist from all attempts to incite violence and unrest in the society,” the PPP added.

The governing party likened the situation in Venezuela somewhat to the situation in Guyana where it said the opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) were together using their one-seat majority to frustrate the government’s work.

“The PPP empathizes with the Venezuelan Government in its attempt to raise the quality of life of the Venezuelan people in the face of a hostile political opposition, a situation all to familiar with what is taking place in Guyana where the combined political opposition is using its one seat majority to blackmail the country and thwart the developmental agenda of the PPPC government,” stated the PPP.

The historically Marxist-Leninist PPP-led administration has been enjoying rather cozy relations with Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chavez-the architect of a socialist revolution there.

According to the BBC, the main opposition grievances are high inflation, crime and the shortage of some staples. Opposition Leader Henrique Capriles says the government’s left-wing policies have led to economic collapse, including high inflation – 56.2% in 2013, according to official figures.