Machado Appeals toโ Venezuelanโ Security Forces: “Put Downโฃ Your Weapons, Don’t Attack Your People”
in a recent โขaudio message, Venezuelan opposition leader Marรญa corina machado directly appealedโค to members ofโค theโ Venezuelan โsecurity and military forces, urging them โฃto disobey orders she characterizes as repressive and to stand with the people. The message comes โฃamidst increasing international pressure onโ the Maduro government, including the recent escalation โof U.S. operations in the Caribbeanโ aimedโค at combating drug trafficking.
Machado condemnedโ the current state of Venezuela,โ stating the entire country lives โขunder a form of “kidnapping,” referencing the detention ofโข political prisoners and what she describes asโ the overall oppression of the population. She โขaccusedโ the government of intentionally โฃinflicting hardship, “separating us from our families, suffocating us, intentionally starving our people.”
Aโ central focus of her message was a plea toโฃ those withinโค the Chavista-supporting security forces who she believes are conflicted โby โขtheir roles. Machado asserted thatโข these individuals are themselves “hostages,” forced โคto carry out “barbarity” and perhaps burdened by guilt. โShe highlighted the testimonyโข of theโ daughter of โLewisโ Mendoza, a citizen reportedly detained by the regime in Trujillo state, whose emotional pleaโค described a “ruined”โข childhood.
“Is this what they wont for theirโ own people?”โ Machado โrepeatedly asked,challenging the security forces to consider the โฃconsequences of their actions. “Sleep in peaceโ after committing โthis cruelty? Isโฃ this theโ future youโฃ want for your children,โข for your families, for your country?” โShe warned that the suffering they inflict โwill not โคbe forgotten, stating,โข “Those cries โขof pain willโข never leave you.”
Machado explicitly โคcalled on these forces to “put down your weapons, don’t attack your people,”โ and to prepare toโ support the โคcountry’sโ move towards โฃfreedom, wich sheโฃ indicated is “imminent.” She emphasizedโ that their actions at thisโฃ critical juncture will โค”mark their life forever,” and that they will be judged by “history,the law and โฃthe Venezuelan people.”โ She urged them toโข “go โout โขand embraceโ the โpeople,โ your people” when the time for changeโค arrives.
The oppositionโข leader framed the situation as a choice between complicity in repression and โขbecoming agents of positive change, urgingโฃ officials to “Beโค a hero and not a โcriminal.โ Be aโฃ pride and โnot a shame for your family. Be partโ ofโ the radiant โฃfuture of Venezuela and not ofโค the ruin that tyranny destroyed.”
concluding herโฃ message, Machado extended an invitation to join the movement for change, โคstating, “Venezuela and your brothers. We are waiting for you.”
Machado’s โstatements follow the recent activation of Operation Lanza del โSur by the United States in September,a โขCaribbean-based initiative intended toโฃ disrupt drug trafficking organizations operating,according to Washington,from Venezuela.