Perkins Rocha criticizes dialogue points between government and opposition in Venezuela

Opposition leader Perkins Rocha has sharply criticized the latest dialogue initiative between representatives of the Venezuelan government and a faction of the opposition. Rocha contends that the announced agenda carries a political message that misrepresents the nation's institutional situation.

"This 'communique' is the first message with profound political content, underlying the text and formally sent by those who, due to their undeniable legitimacy of origin, assume themselves as representatives of the parliament we voted for in 2015," Rocha stated. He specifically questioned the dialogue's stated goal of "strengthening democracy," arguing that this implies democracy currently exists in Venezuela, which he disputes.

Rocha expressed significant concern over the "ethically unjustifiable omission of the issue of political prisoners" from the agenda. He called the phrase "strengthening democracy" a fallacy and an deception, asserting that attempting to strengthen something that does not exist is fundamentally flawed. The opposition leader views the dialogue as a tactic to distract from the country's core issues.

"It is a difficult and complex moment that we Venezuelans are experiencing," Rocha elaborated. He suggested that conducting discussions "by telephone" before releasing a shared agenda that could have been drafted months ago reveals a strategic intention by the administration. This strategy, he believes, aims to leverage external conditions to create a climate of trivialization, pushing critical matters like the presidential elections and the administration of the country's remnants to the background.

Rocha urged the representatives of the 2015 National Assembly to maintain a principled stance grounded in democratic values throughout the dialogue process. "When the path is dark and dangerous, there are no better companions than principles," he emphasized.