The president of the Venezuelan Parliament and chief negotiator of Chavismo, Jorge Rodríguez, has appreciated the role of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero in the mediation process for the release of political prisoners – among them five Spaniards -, a gesture that seeks to “consolidate coexistence” in the country after the US attack on the territory, the capture of Nicolas Maduro and the consequent changes in the Chavista Executive.
“They have always been at the side of the people of Venezuela to defend the right” to “full life, self-determination, independence and peace“, Rodríguez has expressed in reference to Zapatero, as well as international actors such as the president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio. Lula da Silva or the Kingdom of Qatar, specifically its State institutions.
The president of the Venezuelan National Assembly and brother of the interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, has valued the efforts of the former president of the Government in this intermediation and has praised him, “who for ten years has been adding all his capabilities to work together for national connivance”.
Venezuela thanks Spain and Brazil for their support and announces the process of “release” of detainees
Zapatero’s controversial work in Venezuela has been strongly criticized by the opposition bloc, which the Chavista government usually calls “extremist sectors” and which Rodríguez mentioned this Thursday, pointing out that they have not been part of the negotiation of the release, considering that “they are the negation of politics.”
“Consider this gesture of the Bolivarian Government with a broad intention to search for peace as the contribution that we all must make to ensure that our republic continues its peaceful life and in search of prosperity,” Rodríguez added in an appearance before the press broadcast by the state channel Venezolana de Televisión (VTV).
Zapatero also participated in the mediation for the prisoner exchange between Venezuela and the United States last summer. The then Government of Nicolás Maduro also thanked him for his “courageous efforts” in the interests of “political dialogue, peace and reconciliation” in his country.
Likewise, he was present in the operation carried out at the Spanish Embassy in which the Venezuelan opposition leader, Edmundo González, He left his country forcibly despite the fact that everything indicates that he had won the elections. He is currently receiving political asylum in Spain.
Zapatero’s mediating role in Venezuela
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero became involved as mediator, electoral observer and dialogue facilitator between the Maduro Government and different opposition sectors of Venezuela in 2014 in a context of massive protests and growing institutional confrontation.
Since then, its main work has focused on the release of political prisoners and seeking a space for negotiation between the parties that could stop the violence and open channels of dialogue.
His active role in the Venezuelan political crisis, as well as sHis close relationship with Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez and his brother for so many years has worn down the image of the former socialist president both inside and outside Spain, especially in the range of the right and the extreme right.
They doubt his real influence in the South American country: they accuse him of sympathizing with the regime, of having economic interests, of legitimizing the dictatorship and they even consider that he could have “collaborated” with Maduro in the criminal crimes of which the US accuses him.
One of his great critics is the leader of the opposition, Maria Corina Machadowho has pointed out that his mediation in the presidential elections held last summer indirectly favored the Maduro regime. He accuses him of acting more as a facilitator for the Government than as a neutral arbitrator.
Zapatero has always defended his strategy of discretion and has avoided speaking out publicly on certain aspects, such as the recognition of opposition leaders or electoral irregularities, arguing that maintaining the trust of all parties is a condition for effective mediation.
The first official contact with the country occurred with his role as an observer in the 2015 elections, marking the beginning of a decade of continuous trips to Caracas. Between 2016 and 2017, Zapatero began to take center stage in the Venezuelan political framework, frequently meeting with the leadership of Chavismo.
After the institutional crisis of 2017, criticism began to emerge from opposition sectors, accusing him of minimizing democratic setbacks and acting as a comfortable interlocutor for the regime. The subsequent proclamation of Juan Guaidó as interim president in 2019 further eroded his credibility.
From then on, his role becomes more discreet but constant, holding meetings with Maduro, contacts with Chavismo and defending the path of dialogue in the face of international sanctions.