(5 Dec 2020)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Caracas - 5 December 2020
1. Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó arriving at news conference
2. Guaido arranging microphone and papers on table
3. Wide of Guaido speaking
4. Guaido removing face mask
5. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Juan Guaido, opposition leader:
"The call today to the international community, to the Venezuelans, is very clear: to ratify -and I say ratify because it has already been made public and notorious- the rejection of fraud, the rejection of the attempt to mock democracy in Venezuela once again. To the Venezuelans, (I invite you) to stay at home, to the Venezuelans (I invite you) to practice what unfortunately in 2020 we had to do repeatedly: to stay at home as a consequence of a pandemic."
6. Various of Guaido listening questions form journalist
7. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Juan Guaido, opposition leader:
"They have systematically demonstrated how they destroy or seek to destroy the democratic alternative. Great conclusion, by the way, from the UN Fact-Finding Mission, and I quote almost verbatim, or call one of the quotes from the rapporteurs, 'they intend to annihilate the democratic alternative in Venezuela'. That is why I was referring, precisely to the pretension of the dictatorship on the 6th (December 6th, National Assembly elections), is not legitimate."
8. Guaido listening to journalist
9. Various of Guidó leaving the news conference
STORYLINE:
Venezuelan opposition leader and head of the National Assembly Juan Guaidó on Sunday called on the international community and Venezuelans to strongly reject the Parliamentary elections in the South American country.
Guaidó claims the election is a fraudulent process that would have as its main objective to annihilate the opposition.
Guaidó and his allies decided to boycott the legislative elections, alleging that there are no conditions for free and democratic elections.
"The call today to the international community, to the Venezuelans, is very clear: to ratify -and I say ratify because it has already been made public and notorious- the rejection of fraud, the rejection of the attempt to mock democracy in Venezuela once again," said the opposition leader, who urged the Venezuelans to stay home on Sunday.
The National Assembly is the last national institution in the hands of the opposition.
In 2015, Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro's opponents won the National Assembly, reaching an opposition majority after 16 years of a government rule over the National Assembly.
Maduro then dedicated himself to undermining the legislative power and depriving it of its powers through decisions by the electoral authority, first, and then by the Supreme Court of Justice, which in addition to stripping the National Assembly of its powers and declaring its acts "unconstitutional" and "absolutely null" since 2016
Guaidó, invoking his attributions as president of the National Assembly, declared himself interim president in 2019 in defiance of Maduro.
He was recognized by the United States and more than 60 countries.
Despite this international support and the unpopularity of the ruler, Guaidó failed in his attempts to end Maduro's term.
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