00:00Welcome back. We're trying to get in contact with Elizabeth Melendez to talk about the important day that marks this Monday, July 28th, a year from the presidential victory of President Nicolás Maduro and also the victory of the Venezuelan people as a whole against the far-right destabilization attempts that took place after the electoral victory.
00:28Let's welcome once more our next guest, our guest, international analyst on U.S. policies, Lizbeth Melendez. Welcome to From the South.
00:38It's a pleasure to have you. Lizbeth, it's been a year, as we were saying, from that important date back last year at the end of July.
00:46What can you tell us on how these U.S. policies have developed from that moment where in less than 48 hours the people went to the streets
00:53and overcame those destabilization attempts to what we have seen through the years in terms of the foreign policy of the U.S. towards Venezuela?
01:02Well, I mean, I think one of the important things that we need to understand is that under this new administration,
01:07they are more aggressive towards the destabilization of Venezuela's government.
01:12The people spoke last year. The people continue to speak in favor of the current government.
01:19The opposition has been boycotting, according to many records.
01:24And as you know, recently, as recently as yesterday, our Secretary of State, one of the many hats that Marco Rubio,
01:31a Cuban immigrant here in the United States, has very clearly stated that what he believes to be the truth
01:43and accuses President Maduro of one too many crimes, which the world has seen as simple attempts of destabilizing
01:52the voice of the people of Venezuela and of its sovereign government.
01:57We have seen in the recent, with the whole issue of migration, of the forced deportations from the states,
02:05the imprisonment of migrants and the kidnapping to El Salvador, which recently the over 250 people were returned,
02:13we have seen that all this was carried out through negotiation channels directly between the U.S. and Venezuela.
02:18This can be seen maybe as a little step forward to a new way or just another step in what has always been the relations
02:25between the U.S. and Venezuela that one day the U.S. says something and then the other they do something else.
02:32Well, I think the latter is probably truer. Right now, President Trump and his administration
02:40is facing an unprecedented challenge around his base due to the Epstein files.
02:47And in the process of all of that and in the buildup of all of that, the exchange of prisoners in Venezuela
02:54has happened, you know, from El Salvador to Venezuela and then from Venezuela both back to the United States, etc.
03:04You know, it is hard to understand where this administration falls vis-a-vis,
03:11not just the policies around Venezuela, but around the world.
03:15Every time the challenge races are in President Trump, he finds ways in which to try to take attention away from this.
03:23Our hope as people of Latina descent here in the United States and, you know,
03:28those who support the government and the self-determination of Venezuelans is that this, you know,
03:34this is a sign for the better, but history currently tells us that with President Trump, that is never the case.
03:42And so what I would say is that we need to look for the opportunities to exploit those weaknesses
03:49around the policies and public relations disasters of this administration in order for us to benefit
03:58and to continue to, you know, to support the usage in the exchanges of trade and others
04:05that will benefit the people of Venezuela and not hurt them.
04:09Since those presidential elections, July last year, Venezuela has experienced two other elections
04:15closing the cycle, the constitutional cycle of elections, the governors earlier this year
04:19and just yesterday, the municipal and local councilors' elections, where we saw a great participation of the people
04:25and also a consolidation of the will of the people towards the project of the Bolivarian Revolution
04:30of the Great Patriotic Poll Alliance.
04:32What's your take on the results that just happened yesterday and the outwhelming support
04:37towards these government policies of the seven transformations that have been promoted by President Nicolás Maduro?
04:44I think, again, you know, I congratulate the people of Venezuela in speaking up
04:50and supporting what they believe is the right decision for their people.
04:55I think that globally, you know, the administration here in the United States is going to do everything
05:01that they can to cast this in the light of manipulation and false hope.
05:08Again, you know, yes, I learned yesterday.
05:10Secretary Rubio called President Maduro a narco-trafficant, a terrorist, and highlighted what he believed
05:22was the boycotting of elections by those who support the United States narrative as if they were the heroes.
05:29The reality is that it is to be congratulated, you know, the people of Venezuela are to be congratulated
05:35around this issue.
05:37They have spoken, they continue to speak, they continue to support the revolution.
05:41And if that was not the case, just like it has been in the past, the people of Venezuela would rise and would do so.
05:46They have not.
05:47And therefore, we know and, you know, we know that Venezuela continues to be a country
05:54where, just like any other, has challenges and has triumphs.
06:01And people of Venezuela continue to support the triumphs of the revolution.
06:04And we'll see what the oligarchy tries to do around other issues.
06:10But yesterday's, you know, mayoral and council elections, again, overwhelming turnout, overwhelming results.
06:21And the people of Venezuela continue to speak.
06:23And President Maduro continues to do the work of representing those votes.
06:27Thank you very much, Lisbeth, for your input and for your time here in From the South with us.
