Joaquin Jose Gomez Azuz , Minister Counselor at the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the Syrian Arab Republic speaks to Syria Times about the Venezuelan regional and municipal elections.

Minister Counselor Joaquin Jose Gomez Azuz  said that the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela held regional and municipal elections on November 21st in all executive and legislative positions of 23 federal entities as well as that of the 335 municipalities of the country

During a press conference at the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Damascus, Minister Counselor Joaquin Jose Gomez Azuz  said that 70244 candidates registered to win 3082 positions and 37 parties out of 42 national parties and 64 political regional organizations participated in the candidate process.

According to the Venezuelan National Electoral Council (CNE), the elections drew a voter turnout of 41.8 percent, with 8.1 out of a possible 21 million voters casting a ballot.

Minister Counselor Joaquin Jose Gomez Azuz said that 162 international observers, 6 accompanying delegations and  5 election monitoring missions including the European Union and the Carter Center, which is a nongovernmental, non-profit organization founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, and experts from South America participated in monitoring the elections process.

 “I participated as independent observer of the regional and municipal elections on November 21st and it was organized transparent. I spent nine days in Venezuela and noticed that the political system of Venezuela is decentralized and the federal provinces’ governors and counsels have wide authorities to govern and run their regions ,” Syrian former Member of Parliament Marria Sa’adah said to Syria Times.

“Venezuela has good infrastructure which helped it to have a decentral political system and the elected governors and councils work to improve and develop their country which faces a hard economic situation,” Marria Sa’adah, who is the Head of Board of Governance of Huna Hawyati For Developing, non-governmental organization, said. 

Answering a question by Syria Times on the American and Western countries’ critics of the Venezuelan elections, Minister Counselor Joaquin Jose Gomez Azuz answered:

 “Some of international organizations, including the American Carter Center, participated in monitoring the elections. The Carter Center which a well-known organization announced that the Venezuelan election system is one of the most transparent election system in the world. Our message to everyone that rejected the elections is to cooperate together and build Venezuela together.”

Minister Counselor Joaquin Jose Gomez Azuz added that the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela supports peace and political solutions for any problem.

 “We are ready to talk and negotiate with anyone that opposes the government. The Venezuelans completely reject the imposition of  a government on them from Washington,” Minister Counselor Joaquin Jose Gomez Azuz said.

On the Syrian-Venezuelan relations, Minister Counselor Joaquin Jose Gomez Azuz said that Venezuela supports Syria and rejects all international resolutions against Syria and we should cooperate to expose the misinformation campaigns that target both countries. 

 “Syria and Venezuela face economic, financial and trade boycotts including on the banking system which hinder the cooperation and flow of trade between the two countries. In the near future, Syria and Venezuela will overcome these obstacles and increase their economic relations and trade exchange,” Minister Counselor Joaquin Jose Gomez Azuz said to Syria Times.

Interviewed and Photos by Obaid Hamad