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Venezuelan opposition

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Henrique Capriles, opposition presidential candidate in 2012 and 2013. Capriles popularized the use of the tricolor hat among the Venezuelan opposition[1]
The 1954 flag of Venezuela, used by some members of the Venezuelan opposition[2]

The Venezuelan opposition is a political umbrella term given to those who oppose Chavismo under its leaders, Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro. Venezuelan government repression of the opposition grew more severe over time, with that initially occurring under Chávez drifting towards authoritarianism during the presidency of Maduro.

History

Chávez presidency

Hugo Chávez as he was being sworn into the presidency in February 1999

1999 Constituent Assembly election

Main article: 1999 Venezuelan Constituent Assembly election

Opposition parties in the 1999 elections for the constituent assembly participated in a divided approach instead of unifying under a single group.[3] After creating the 1999 Venezuela Constitution in about three months, with little influence from the opposition, the constituent assembly provided expanded powers to the presidency through the new charter, making groups opposed to the presidency more politically vulnerable.[3]

2002 coup attempt

Main article: 2002 Venezuelan coup attempt
Businessman Pedro Carmona swearing himself in as president amid the 2002 coup attempt

Between 2001 and 2003, multiple chavistas started opposing Chávez as well.[4] Chávez faced his first critical conflict after attempting to restructure the state-run oil industry, PDVSA in November 2001.[5][6] On 11 April 2002, opposition protesters marched in Caracas, with numbers estimated to be up to one million people.[7][8] A confrontation between opposition marchers and Chávez supporters led to gunfire, which resulted to deaths on both sides. Chávez was forced to resign the presidency and was arrested.[9][10] Businessman Pedro Carmona subsequently declared himself president, with Carmona decreeing that the 1999 Venezuelan Constitution was invalid and dissolving the National Assembly and Supreme Court.[9] Protests forced Carmona to abandon the office and Chávez was reinstalled as president.[11]

General strike

Main article: Venezuelan general strike of 2002–2003

From late 2002 into 2003, the opposition coalition Coordinadora Democrática (CD) organized a general strike against Chávez, demanding his dismissal.[4][6][12][13] The leaders of PDVSA thought that the Chávez government would end if the general strike persisted.[6] As a result of the opposition strike, shortages of goods began, blackouts occurred and transportation was halted, though Chávez maintained the presidency.[6]

2004 recall attempt

Main article: 2004 Venezuelan recall referendum
Caracas rally during the 2004 recall referendum to recall Chávez

After the general strike failed, the Coordinadora Democrática began negotiating more with the Chávez government and reached an agreement that a recall election would be held.[12][14] In August 2004, sixty percent of voters voted against recalling Chávez, while forty percent voted in favor, results that the CD rejected. The organization dissolved later that year.[14] Chávez used the peacetime to consolidate power and place more obstacles against the opposition.[15] A year later, the 2005 parliamentary election was boycotted by the opposition, losing all seats in the National Assembly.[5]

2006 presidential elections

Main article: 2006 Venezuelan presidential election

Manuel Rosales, of the A New Era party, was chosen as a presidential against Chávez due to his opinion polling support. Rosales later lost the presidential elections.[16]

2007 protests and 2009 referendum

University students protesting in 2007

Chávez proceeded to shut down RCTV, propose the 2007 constitutional referendum to turn Venezuela into a socialist nation, and propose the 2009 constitutional referendum, which proposed indefinite re-election of the officeholders.[16][12] Protests against RCTV's shutdown and against referendum protests took place in 2007, and in 2008 the opposition created the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) coalition.[12] Opposition leaders said that the formation of MUD was in response to their perception of increased repression from the Chávez government.[16] The opposition coalition created a set of rules regarding decisions, including decisions being made by a majority of 3/5ths of members or 70% of the popular vote during election processes, the process to determine a joint candidate either through majority or a primary election and a unified policy framework.[16] Such coordination resulted with a more unified long-term strategy as opposed to short-term individualized interests.[16]

2012 and 2013 presidential elections

Henrique Capriles, founder of Justice First, was chosen as the opposition presidential candidate for the 2012 presidential election and begun appealing to disillusioned chavista voters.[17][18]

External videos
video icon ¿Dónde nació Nicolás Maduro? [Where was Nicolás Maduro born?] Diario Las Américas TV

Maduro presidency

Protestors during the 2016 protests

Following the death of Hugo Chávez, Capriles was also a cadidate for the 2013 presidential election, where Nicolás Maduro was declared winner by a narrow margin.[18][12] The opposition denounced irregularities during the process and demanded for a vote recount, request that was rejected by the National Electoral Council.[19] Maduro did not have the charisma of his predecessor and as a result, began to lose support among his base.[20]

some opposition groups alleged that Maduro was born in Colombia, saying that this would disqualify him from holding the presidential office in Venezuela.[21][22] By 2014, official declarations by the Venezuelan government officials shared four different birthplaces of Maduro.[23] Opposition followers argued that Maduro cited Article 227 of the Venezuelan constitution, which states that "To be chosen as president of the Republic it is required to be Venezuelan by birth, not having another nationality."[24] The pro-government Supreme Tribunal of Justice ruled in October 2016 that Maduro was born in Venezuela[25][26] The ruling did not reproduce Maduro's birth certificate but it quoted the Colombian Vice minister of foreign affairs, Patti Londoño Jaramillo, who stated that "no related information was found, nor civil registry of birth, nor citizenship card that allows to infer that president Nicolás Maduro Moros is a Colombian national".[27] In January 2018, the opposition-appointed Supreme Tribunal of Justice of Venezuela in exile decreed the 2013 presidential elections null after reportedly obtaining evidence that Nicolás Maduro was ineligible to be elected and to hold the office of the presidency, citing that he was born in Colombia.[28]

La Salida protests

In February 2014, amid an economic decline and insecurity problems, Popular Will founder Leopoldo López led the La Salida movement.[17][29][30] The government issued an arrest warrant against López, who turned himself in on 18 February and was imprisoned.[31][32]

2015 legislative elections

Opposition members celebrate their win in the in 2015 parliamentary elections (left to right: Lilian Tintori, Freddy Guevara, Jesús Torrealba and Julio Borges).

The opposition won a majority in the National Assembly in the 2015 parliamentary election.[18] The lame duck chavista National Assembly would pack the Supreme Tribunal of Justice prior to its departure.[33][34] Maduro would bypass the opposition-led National Assembly by creating the 2017 Constituent National Assembly.[20]

Presidential crisis

Maduro was declared winner again during the 2018 presidential election. The opposition has rejected its results and declared fraud was committed. In December 2018, Popular Will politician Juan Guaidó was named president of the National Assemblyand began to form a transitional government.[35][36]

Guaidó was declared interim president of Venezuela on 23 January 2019, beggining a presidential crisis.[37] The United States, European allies and Latin American countries recognized Guiadó as president as well.[37] Guaidó laid down three objectives: "Cessation of usurpation, transitional government, and free elections".[38][39][40][41][42] Establishing a government in Venezuela required three crucial elements: "the people, the international community, and the armed forces."[43]

Guaidó let an attempt uprising against Maduro with a group of military defectors on 30 April 2019,[44][45] during which Leopoldo López fled house arrest.[46] The uprising ultimately failed.[47]

In December 2022, three of the four main opposition political parties (Justice First, Democratic Action and A New Era) backed and approved a reform to dissolve the interim government and create a commission of five members to manage foreign assets, as deputies sought a united strategy ahead of the next Venezuelan presidential election scheduled for 2024,[48][49] stating that the interim government had failed to achieve the goals it had set.[50]

2024 presidential election

Main article: 2024 Venezuelan presidential election

In the 2023 Unitary Platform presidential primaries, the Venezuelan opposition selected María Corina Machado as their candidate for the 2024 presidential elections.[51] She was disqualified from holding office in Venezuela in June 2023.[52][53][54]

Opposition parties and organizations

Leadership

Prominent Venezuelan opposition leaders Leopoldo López and María Corina Machado, presenting La Salida. Juan Guaidó is behind.

In 2002, Pedro Carmona and Carlos Ortega briefly provided leadership for the opposition, and Henrique Capriles served as its leader during his candidacies in the 2012 and 2013 presidential elections. Following the opposition winning the majority in the 2015 Venezuelan parliamentary election, the National Assembly of Venezuela assumed leadership of the opposition. Juan Guaidó was the leader of the opposition during the presidential crisis, though he lost support as the opposition failed to achieve its objectives under his mandate.[55] Into the 2024 presidential elections, María Corina Machado was chosen as leader of the opposition.[51]

Parties

Democratic Unity Roundtable

Party name Acronym Leader Main ideology International Associations
Justice First

Primero Justicia

PJ Henrique Capriles Radonski Humanism None
A New Era

Un Nuevo Tiempo

UNT Manuel Rosales Social democracy Socialist International
Popular Will

Voluntad Popular

VP Leopoldo López Progressivism

Social democracy

Socialist International
Radical Cause

La Causa Radical

LCR Andrés Velásquez Laboriousm None
Progressive Movement of Venezuela [es]

Movimiento Progresista de Venezuela

MPV Simón Calzadilla Progressivism None
Project Venezuela

Proyecto Venezuela

PRVZL Henrique Salas Feo Liberal conservatism IDU, UPLA
Clear Accounts [es]

Cuentas Claras

CC Vicencio Scarano Progressivism None
Progressive Advance

Avanzada Progresista

AP Henri Falcón Democratic socialism[citation needed] None
Fearless People's Alliance

Alianza Bravo Pueblo

ABP Antonio Ledezma Social democracy None
Emergent People [es]

Gente Emergente

GE Julio César Reyes [es] Social democracy None
National Convergence

Convergencia Nacional

CN Juan José Caldera [es] Christian democracy ODCA (observer)
Movement for a Responsible, Sustainable and Entrepreneurial Venezuela

Movimiento por una Venezuela Responsable, Sostenible y Emprendedora

MOVERSE Alexis Romero Green politics None
Ecological Movement of Venezuela

Movimiento Ecológico de Venezuela

MOVEV Manuel Díaz Green politics Global Greens

Student groups

Symbols

2014 opposition rally in Maracaibo. Several demonstrators wear a tricolor hat, a symbol of the Venezuelan opposition.

When the Chávez government introduced the 2006 flag of Venezuela, the opposition refused to recognize the new symbol, saying that they would continue using the 1954 flag, also known as the seven-star flag.[2][56] The eight-star design altered Venezuela's 200-year-old flag to feature a left-facing horse rather than right, and to add a star to represent the disputed Guayana territory.[56] The old flag has been used as a sign of opposition and has been used as a dividing symbol by the government and opposition, with some in the opposition viewing the eight-star flag as a representation of oppression.[2][failed verification][page needed][57] Miss Universe 2009 winner Stefanía Fernández used the seven-star flag during while walking down the runway at the Miss Universe 2010 competition.[failed verification][page needed][57] Venezuelan opposition protesters and some individuals belonging to the Venezuelan diaspora continue to use the seven-star flag.[2]

Henrique Capriles popularized the use of the tricolor hat among the Venezuelan opposition during his presidential campaigns.[58]

See also

References

  1. ^ "La gorra de la polémica" (in Spanish). El Mundo. 3 October 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d Andrade, Gabriel (1 December 2020). "Banal Nationalism Disputes in Venezuela: 1999–2019". Journal of Nationalism, Memory & Language Politics. 14 (2). De Gruyter: 182–184. doi:10.2478/jnmlp-2020-0007.
  3. ^ a b Corrales, Javier; Penfold, Michael (2011). Dragon in the tropics: Hugo Chávez and the political economy of revolution in Venezuela. Washington, D.C: Brookings Institution Press. pp. 18–19. ISBN 978-0815704973.
  4. ^ a b Corrales, Javier; Penfold, Michael (2011). Dragon in the tropics: Hugo Chávez and the political economy of revolution in Venezuela. Washington, D.C: Brookings Institution Press. pp. 21–24. ISBN 978-0815704973.
  5. ^ a b Dominguez, Francisco (2011). "Chapter 7 - Venezuela's opposition: desperately seeking to overthrow Chávez". Right-Wing Politics in the New Latin America: Reaction and Revolt. Zed Books. ISBN 9781848138148.
  6. ^ a b c d Gott, Richard (2005). "The 'Economic Coup' of December 2002". Hugo Chavez and the Bolivarian revolution. London: Verso. pp. 250–251. ISBN 9781844675333.
  7. ^ Hawkins, Kirk A. (2010). Venezuela's Chavismo and populism in comparative perspective (1st publ. ed.). New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521765039.
  8. ^ Yergin, Daniel (2012). The Quest: energy, security and the remaking of the modern world (revised & updated ed.). New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0143121947.
  9. ^ a b Wilson, Scott (13 April 2002). "Leader of Venezuela Is Forced To Resign". The Washington Post.
  10. ^ Harnecker, Marta. (Z Communications, 9 January 2003)."Lessons of the April Coup: Harnecker interviews Chávez". Retrieved 7 September 2010. Archived 21 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ "Círculos bolivarianos protestaron" (in Spanish). Últimas Noticias. 13 April 2002. Archived from the original on 2 November 2003. Retrieved 11 April 2008.
  12. ^ a b c d e Cannon, Barry (2014). "As Clear as MUD: Characteristics, Objectives, and Strategies of the Opposition in Bolivarian Venezuela". Latin American Politics and Society. 56 (4): 49–70. doi:10.1111/j.1548-2456.2014.00248.x.
  13. ^ Olson, Alexandra (6 January 2003). "Chavez insists Venezuela oil industry rebounding". Associated Press. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  14. ^ a b Cooper, Andrew F.; Legler, Thomas (3 August 2005). "A Tale of Two Mesas: The OAS Defense of Democracy in Peru and Venezuela". Global Governance: A Review of Multilateralism and International Organizations. 11 (4): 425–444. doi:10.1163/19426720-01104003.
  15. ^ Corrales, Javier; Penfold, Michael (2011). Dragon in the tropics: Hugo Chávez and the political economy of revolution in Venezuela. Washington, D.C: Brookings Institution Press. p. 15. ISBN 978-0815704973.
  16. ^ a b c d e Jiménez, Maryhen (February 2023). "Contesting Autocracy: Repression and Opposition Coordination in Venezuela". Political Studies. 71 (1): 47–68. doi:10.1177/0032321721999975.
  17. ^ a b "Venezuela: Tipping Point". Crisis Group Latin America Briefing (30). International Crisis Group: 10. 21 May 2014. López joined forces with Caracas metropolitan mayor Antonio Ledezma of the Courageous People Alliance (ABP) and independent congresswoman María Corina Machado in early 2014 in 'La Salida' to demand a change of government. This move was frowned on by the moderates in the MUD. Capriles, whose ability to appeal to disaffected chavistas had helped broaden the opposition's voter base, saw his leadership challenged by a faction whose message seemed intended to polarise, not unite, the electorate.
  18. ^ a b c Neumann, William (2022). Things are never so bad that they can't get worse: inside the collapse of Venezuela. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press. pp. 204–205. ISBN 9781250266163.
  19. ^ Scharfenberg, Ewald (2013-04-28). "Venezuela rechaza el recuento de votos que exige la oposición". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  20. ^ a b Trejos, Amanda (23 August 2017). "Why is Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro so controversial?". USA Today. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  21. ^ Castillo, Mariano (2013-07-27). "A 'birther' movement rises in Venezuela". CNN. Retrieved 2023-11-20. So far, Venezuela's birther movement also has found no evidence to back their claims, much like their American counterparts. But, in another similarity, they stubbornly refuse to back down.
  22. ^ "Venezuela: Pres. Maduro opponents fan flames of birther debate". Associated Press. 2016-10-25. Retrieved 2023-11-20. A birther debate is heating up in Venezuela as President Nicolas Maduro's opponents seek to push the embattled socialist leader from office at any cost. Like the birther controversy surrounding Barack Obama in the U.S., the lack of any evidence hasn't stopped his opponents from speculating.
  23. ^ "Machado: Ya van 4 parroquias donde nació Nicolás Maduro". Informe21. 10 October 2013. Archived from the original on 11 May 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  24. ^ "TSJ contradice a Maduro y resuelve el misterio de su nacionalidad". El Nacional. 28 October 2016. Archived from the original on 11 May 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  25. ^ "Maduro is Venezuelan, top court rules". Reuters. 2016-10-28. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  26. ^ "TSJ contradice a Maduro y resuelve el misterio de su nacionalidad". El Nacional. 28 October 2016. Archived from the original on 11 May 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  27. ^ Peñaloza, Pedro Pablo (29 October 2016). "¿Dónde nació Nicolás Maduro? El Supremo de Venezuela contradice la autobiografía del mandatario". Univisión Noticias. Archived from the original on 11 May 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  28. ^ "TSJ en el exilio decreta nulidad de elección de Maduro como presidente". Diario las Américas. 11 January 2018. Archived from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  29. ^ "Detailed findings of the independent international fact-finding mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela" (PDF). United Nations Human Rights Council. 15 September 2020. p. 14. In January 2014, in a context of economic decline, inflation and widespread insecurity in the country, a group of opposition leaders initiated a campaign to remove President Nicolás Maduro from office. The effort was referred to as "The Exit" ("La Salida").
  30. ^ Bellaviti, Sean (May 2021). "La Hora de la Salsa : Nicolás Maduro and the Political Dimensions of Salsa in Venezuela". Journal of Latin American Studies. 53 (2): 373–396. doi:10.1017/S0022216X21000237. Dubbed 'La Salida' (The Exit) by members of the opposition who called for Maduro's ousting
  31. ^ "Venezuela protest death toll rises to 13". Al Jazeera. 24 February 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2023. a nationwide effort called 'la Salida' or 'the Exit,' aimed at ending Maduro's rule.
  32. ^ Kobelinsky, Fernanda (18 February 2017). "La historia detrás de la detención de Leopoldo López: sus horas previas, por qué se entregó y la sorprendente oferta de Maduro". Infobae (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  33. ^ Casey, Nicholas; Torres, Patricia (30 March 2017). "Venezuela Muzzles Legislature, Moving Closer to One-Man Rule". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  34. ^ "Venezuela's Lame-Duck Congress Names New Supreme Court Justices". Bloomberg. 23 December 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  35. ^ "Asamblea Nacional arranca proceso para Ley de Transicion". Archived from the original on 9 January 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  36. ^ Smith, Scott (10 January 2019). "Isolation greets Maduro's new term as Venezuela's president". AP News. Archived from the original on 11 January 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  37. ^ a b Neumann, William (2022). Things are never so bad that they can't get worse: inside the collapse of Venezuela. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press. pp. 211–217. ISBN 9781250266163.
  38. ^ "Guaidó aboga por un gobierno de transición y elecciones libres en Venezuela". Europa Press (in Spanish). 2019-01-25. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  39. ^ "Qué significa el fin del "gobierno" de Juan Guaidó y cómo queda ahora la oposición a Maduro en Venezuela". BBC News Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  40. ^ ""Me habría gustado escuchar a presidentes como Lula y Petro ponerse del lado de las víctimas": Juan Guaidó". NTN24 (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  41. ^ Arellano, María Angela (2022-12-31). "Juan Guaidó: momentos que marcaron su interinato". Runrunes (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  42. ^ Suarez, Enrique (2021-08-02). "Guaidó: El cese de la usurpación, gobierno de transición y elecciones libres sigue siendo nuestra bandera #2Ago". El Impulso (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  43. ^ Villa, Rafael Duarte (2022). "Venezuelan military: a political and ideological model in Chavista governments" (PDF). Defence Studies. 22 (1): 79–98. doi:10.1080/14702436.2021.1976061. S2CID 246801363. EBSCOhost 155858391. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 September 2023.
  44. ^  • "Venezuela Crisis: Guaidó Calls for Uprising as Clashes Erupt". The New York Times. 30 April 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2023. Venezuelan military personnel who had participated in the coup attempt had since sought asylum in the Brazilian Embassy in Caracas
  45. ^  • "Venezuelans take to streets as uprising attempt sputters". Associated Press. 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2023-06-04.
  46. ^ "Leopoldo López y su familia ingresaron como huéspedes a la residencia del embajador de Chile". La Patilla (in European Spanish). 30 April 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  47. ^ Sequera, Vivian and Angus Berwick (30 April 2019). "Venezuela's Guaido calls on troops to join him in uprising against Maduro". Reuters. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  48. ^ Armas, Mayela (2022-12-31). "Venezuela opposition removes interim President Guaido". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  49. ^ Martínez, Deisy (2022-12-30). "AN de 2015 aprueba su extensión por otro año y elimina gobierno interino" [2015 NA approves its extension for one more year and eliminates interim government]. Efecto Cocuyo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  50. ^ "Mayoría de la AN-2015 ratifica disolución del Gobierno interino". Tal Cual (in Spanish). 2022-12-30. Retrieved 2022-12-31. Hemos tenido algo que pasó de ser provisional a convertirse en algo perpetuo. Y no se celebraron las elecciones, de manera que el artículo 233 perdió su razón de ser para justificar el gobierno interino.
  51. ^ a b Garcia Cano, Regina (26 October 2023). "María Corina Machado is winner of Venezuela opposition primary that the government has denounced". Associated Press. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  52. ^ Armas, Mayela; Sequera, Vivian (30 June 2023). "Venezuela opposition candidate Machado barred from holding office-gov't". Reuters. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  53. ^ Perdomo, Luna (30 June 2023). "José Brito: Contraloría inhabilitó a María Corina Machado por 15 años" [José Brito: Comptroller's Office disqualified María Corina Machado for 15 years]. Tal Cual (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  54. ^ Rodríguez, Ronny (30 June 2023). "Contraloría inhabilita a María Corina Machado por 15 años, dice José Brito" [Comptroller's Office disqualifies María Corina Machado for 15 years, says José Brito]. Efecto Cocuyo (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  55. ^ Fray, Keith; Daniels, Joe; Silva, Vanessa; Stott, Michael (2023-03-05). "How Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro outfoxed the west". Financial Times. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  56. ^ a b Morsbach, Greg (March 13, 2006). "New Venezuela flag divides nation". BBC News. Retrieved September 19, 2010.
  57. ^ a b "The Week" (PDF). National Review. 20 September 2010. p. 14.
  58. ^ "La gorra de la polémica" (in Spanish). El Mundo. 3 October 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
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