CARACAS. – The elected president of Bolivia, Rodrigo Paz, announced that he will not invite the Venezuelan dictator, Nicolás Maduro, to his inauguration. “We are a democratic country. Although there are diplomatic relations to be respected, because there are prior conditions, but our relationship condition is based on democracy,” Paz said in an interview with CNN.
Under these statements, he argued that the heads of the Cuban and Nicaraguan regimes, Miguel Díaz-Canel and Daniel Ortega, respectively, will not be present at his inauguration on November 8.
He asserted that Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua “clearly” they are “non-democratic” countries.
He added: “I wouldn’t want my country to be any of those three, it’s clear.”
Paz of the Christian Democratic Party, elected in the Bolivian runoff on October 19, is the first president of his country in 20 years who will not be from the left.
The president-elect was also consulted about the relationship of Maduro, Díaz-Canel and Ortega with former Bolivian president Evo Morales: “They were part of his speeches, but Bolivians, if we are clear about one thing, it is that you don’t eat ideology.”
This Tuesday, October 21, the Tarija Prosecutor’s Office presented the formal accusation against former President Morales for the crime of aggravated human trafficking.
Conversation with María Corina Machado
On Monday, October 20, Rodrigo Paz spoke by telephone with the Venezuelan opposition leader, María Corina Machado. During the talk, he congratulated Machado for obtaining the Nobel Peace Prize and the leader congratulated him for his victory.
The new Bolivian president invited Machado for his inauguration and referred to her as “an inspiration for democracy in Latin America.”
“I just spoke with Rodrigo Paz, president-elect of Bolivia, to congratulate him on his victory and thank him for his firm support for our cause for democracy in Venezuela. In his exile, Rodrigo lived in Venezuela and for that reason he has a very special affection and gratitude for our country. I know that we are counting on him and the beloved Bolivian people in this definitive phase of our struggle”Machado said through an X account.
At the same time, he congratulated all the people of Bolivia on another civic and massive electoral day. “Bolivia and Venezuela are united in their history and in their destiny of Freedom, prosperity and peace,” he asserted.
