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🇻🇪 Venezuela /Elections & Politics

Ted Cruz: Venezuela Must Hold Free and Democratic Elections

From El Nacional · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Interview Named sources Ongoing story
  • Senator Ted Cruz said Venezuela must hold free and democratic elections.
  • He made the comments while discussing whether elections should precede an oil agreement between the United States and Venezuela.
  • Cruz said the oil agreement could move forward as quickly as possible, without making its timing dependent on elections.

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz said Venezuela must hold free and democratic elections, even as he welcomed an oil agreement between Washington and Caracas as positive for the country’s economy.

The answer is absolutely yes. There must be free and democratic elections in Venezuela.

— Ted CruzHe answered whether Venezuela should hold elections while discussing the oil agreement with the United States.

Speaking to NBC News, Cruz was asked whether elections should take place before the oil deal begins. The negotiations were agreed with interim President Delcy Rodríguez, whom the report describes as remaining in power illegitimately after the 180-day interim period ended following the president’s absence.

Cruz said the election should happen, but argued that its timing should not determine when the oil agreement takes effect. “The answer is absolutely yes. There must be free and democratic elections in Venezuela,” he said. “I think the oil agreement will move forward as quickly as it can.”

I think the oil agreement will move forward as quickly as it can.

— Ted CruzHe said the timing of elections should not determine the agreement’s progress.

He also criticized the legitimacy of the country’s previous leadership, saying, “Delcy Rodríguez was Nicolás Maduro’s vice president, Maduro was illegitimate. He was a Marxist. He had taken power against the will of Venezuelan voters.” Cruz said he had urged pressure for free elections from the beginning so Venezuelans could choose their leader.

Delcy Rodríguez was Nicolás Maduro’s vice president, Maduro was illegitimate. He was a Marxist. He had taken power against the will of Venezuelan voters.

— Ted CruzHe criticized the legitimacy of Venezuela’s previous government.
About this summary

Originally published by El Nacional in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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