Leader of Venezuela’s opposition coalition resigns

Ramón Guillermo Aveledo has resigned from his post as executive secretary of the anti-chavista coalition, the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD). On Wednesday, Aveledo announced his departure while speaking at an event to commemorate the birth of the nation’s founding father, Simón Bolívar.

The news came as a surprise because Aveledo had said on several occasions, especially after the opposition’s heavy losses in the 2013 municipal elections, that he was ready to fight. There had been no mention of Aveledo’s departure when MUD leaders met on Monday to reorganize and plan for the challenging upcoming parliamentary elections in September 2015. However, two days later, he handed in his resignation.

After the announcement, MUD members thanked Aveledo for his work. He was the person who had brought the opposition groups together to create a perfect electoral platform that represented a real alternative to the chavista regime. The former representative was the ideal candidate for the job because he did not seem to have any interest in running for public office and everyone respected him. Now, the group is asking itself whether there is someone else of his stature within its ranks who could replace him.

In a bitter letter, Aveledo highlighted the difficulties he had faced over the last few months, difficulties that went beyond his capacity as the coalition’s coordinator. “A crafty and cruel campaign has been launched against the coalition and its political organization, the MUD, and it is trying to destroy my credibility in order to get at the group. Arrogant power crafted this campaign. Then, foolishness welcomed it with lust. And these contaminated waters – whether coming from the source or from the mouth – have splashed on to our shores.”

A cruel campaign has been launched against the coalition and it is trying to destroy my credibility to get at the group”

Ramón Guillermo Aveledo, MUD executive secretary

The note seemed like a warning to the La Salida opposition movement. Since February, the group has been criticizing the MUD leadership for its lack of effectiveness and for not moving more aggressively and decisively to capitalize on the government’s mistakes. Its leaders – Leopoldo López, María Corina Machado and Antonio Ledezma – encouraged the street demonstrations that took place between February and June 2014. Those protests led to 43 deaths, hundreds of injured, and many angry students who want to settle scores with the regime. The initiative, however, failed to achieve its immediate goal: Nicolás Maduro’s resignation. Instead, it separated La Salida from the other faction of the coalition to which Aveledo belongs. He and his allies wanted to raise political capital and win an incontestable victory in the upcoming elections.

Aveledo’s head was the first to roll after Monday’s meeting. Although they are conscious of the need for unity, opposition leaders cannot seem to overcome their differences and agree on a common strategy.

Everyone was expecting to see signs of infighting within the chavista camp when the United Socialist Party of Venezuela met for its third Ideological Congress this week. But Hugo Chávez’s mismatched successors behaved like one single unit when the time came to decide the future direction of the party.

Contrary to local media reports, the opposition’s conclave was anything but cordial. Even before the meeting began, Henry Ramos Allup, secretary general of the Democratic Action Party, denied entrance to two Popular Will party members. A visibly upset Ramos left the room when Leopoldo López’s camp rejected his request.

Once they overcame that setback, the coalition took up the business of the day: to move beyond the internal conflicts reported in the press, reorganize the group and decide on a common plan of action.

The parties, however, found it impossible to refrain from criticizing one another. Henrique Capriles, the former presidential candidate and current governor of Miranda, sat quietly in his chair, his cap pulled down over his eyes, listening to everyone else as they spoke. First Justice Party leader Julio Borges criticized the radical wing of the coalition for straying from the electoral agenda and for inciting protests without seeking consensus. Former representative María Corina Machado defended her decision to call for demonstrations, saying they led to a drastic decline in Maduro’s popularity.

Opposition leaders, though conscious of the need for unity, cannot overcome their differences

Exiled politician Manuel Rosales asked the group to return to the true spirit of the gathering. Roberto Enríquez, the leader of the Social Christian Party, COPEI, criticized Capriles. Apparently the schism in the MUD began after Capriles decided to call off demonstrations planned for April 17, 2013. Protestors were going to march to the National Electoral Commission’s office to challenge the results of the presidential elections officially won by Maduro. Capriles broke his silence to say that he did not regret his decision and that he would make the same choice again. The governor has always said that he does not want to incite violent clashes between Venezuelans.

The group adjourned without agreeing on any points on the agenda. Another meeting is scheduled for next Monday. They did not discuss the departure of Ramón José Medina of the Social Christian Party, who was Aveledo’s second-in-command. Two weeks ago, he said there was no special plan to press for Leopoldo López’s release because he had brought his arrest upon himself. For Popular Will members, López’s case is a question of honor. López has been in a military prison on the outskirts of Caracas for five months.

In his resignation letter, Aveledo said the group’s persistent internal conflicts were one of the reasons for his departure. “My job is not to win arguments. My job is to help find consensus. And the situation of the country is so severe that it requires us to be extremely efficient. So, it is precisely because of my commitment to Unity, because I want to protect this achievement, that I am stepping aside. I believe it to be the proper thing to do. And, of course, without cutting off the ties that bind me to this group because they are unbreakable.”

Although all coalition members praised his contribution, Aveledo did falter at times. He was never able to push the MUD beyond its participation in the elections and he was a slow decision-maker when it came to confronting the government’s proposals. Now, these challenges await his successor.

 Translation: Dyane Jean François