02/07/2012
Mar?a Corina Machado, member of the National Assembly of Venezuela and member of the opposition to Hugo Chavez "We are at a historic crossroads where a generation could change Venezuela" Navacerrada (Madrid), 02.07.12.- The member of the National Assembly of Venezuela and prominent member of the opposition to Hugo Chavez, Mar?a Corina Machado, has participated in the sessions dedicated to Latin America of the International Affairs course of the 2012 FAES Campus. Also participating in the conference 'Joining the Like-Minded: Hope for Venezuela', was the MP of the Partido Popular, Miguel ?ngel Cort?s. The coordinator for Latin American Programmes of the Foundation, Guillermo Hirschfeld, introduced them. Mar?a Corina Machado: Venezuela stands at a historic crossroads where a generation could really change the country, the history of the many generations still to come. What we do or fail to do is going to be decisive for the Latin American region and even for other regions of the world, even though it is sad that in my own country many people still do not realize the importance of the time we're at. Venezuela has suffered a destruction not only of its productive and institutional capability, but also and more importantly of its moral sphere. Before this we have the opportunity, as a result of a lot of work and a lot of learning, of having a united opposition which has managed to set aside obvious differences [?]. We see that we have before us a superior aim, based on specific values and proposals, alternative and radically different to those represented by the Government, as well as a society deeply aware and mobilised. There are many elements of insecurity, like the president's health, what the armed forces are going to do, what the international community is going to do, and what's going to happen to the price of oil given the lack of liquid reserves . The transition has already started, due to the absolute failure of Chavez's project. Now we have the opportunity of considering a model of society different to the one we have now, of considering conflicting values not only with those in force now, but also with those practices which actually brought Chavez to power; ideals of responsibility, effort, work, free economy, and the importance of human beings aspiring to a better life. We need to create the conviction that we are the majority, because we actually are [?]. Because behind fear is the hope and dignity of those who do not want to live in fear [?]. And because hope is not only for Venezuela, but for the whole of the Latin American region. Democracy and freedom are not inherited, they're conquered every day by each generation, and this time we're going to look after it and preserve it . Hugo Ch?vez has a total control of public powers; even though they got to power through an election, they use their legitimacy to change legality. General characteristics of the regime are the use of violence and of the mechanisms of social control, the implementation of terror in the media, the destruction of the country's productive capability and the elections as legitimising procedures; as well as the most furious criticism against globalisation, even though the authoritarians of these neo-dictatorships excel in knowing how to use its advantages to their own benefit. The aim of the 'Chavez plan' is promoting the socialist model under the principle of governing by obeying, excluding any space for private initiative, creating a society of slaves and a country of informers to progress. The 'plan' also creates a society of beggars with what they've called communal power, consisting of the creation of a parallel structure throughout the different levels of the Administration, as well as regional courts voted in citizen assemblies to judge any crime inferior to 8 years. Miguel ?ngel Cort?s: The joining of the like-minded is a hope for Venezuela and for the whole of the Latin American community, to which Spain also belongs. That joining has to be done around projects that make sense for the majority of society, not around nothing, because that leads to non-definition and even to contradiction. This idea has been successful in Spain and in Europe; however, in the Latin American case, the procedure is slower because there are too many individual projects, sometimes even personal retinues which present themselves without a project, without organisation and without ideas. International organisations in Latin America have their own issues, sometimes too personal, which hinder joint and coordinated action. In order to become an alternative they must leave their differences aside which shouldn't be as big as to stop them from collaborating in a joint project when threats are so big. We must do a closed defence of political parties as organisations surviving people and with ideas around principles and values which must be shared and identified by the people, because a democracy without alternatives will fade away . Guillermo Hirschfeld: The joining of the like-minded is an inspiring principle which leads the strongest proposals of FAES strategic document 'Latin America: An Agenda for Freedom'. It's a positive project for the whole of the Latin American political system. The challenge is to articulate centrist and liberal projects; the support of democracy, market economy, the triumph of open society over populism, legal certainty, the Rule of Law, division of powers, are all shared principles that should suffice to join the like-minded.