The former president of Ecuador Rafael Correa believes that it is time for the countries that once recognized Juan Guaidó as the legitimate president of Venezuela to «correct» now that «stupidity» and has ironized that, with the rise in oil prices, President Nicolás Maduro «is no longer as dictatorial as he seemed» in the eyes of Europe and the United States.
Correa has stated that Europe followed the «ridiculousness» of the United States to endorse Guaidó, who in January 2019 proclaimed himself ‘president in charge’ of Venezuela by asserting the legitimacy of his leadership in the National Assembly. «That they do not like an election in Venezuela does not mean that they recognize a guy who proclaimed himself in a square president,» he has alleged in an interview to Europa Press, to immediately point out: «I’m going to proclaim myself king of Spain, to see if they recognize me.»
Now, it is time to «humbly correct what they should never have done», especially when the United States has left «alone» the countries that are theoretically allies. According to Correa, examples such as Venezuela show that the U.S. Administration only «acts according to its interests».
The greetings of the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, or of the Prime Minister of Portugal, António Costa, to Maduro at the COP27 in Sharm el Sheikh (Egypt) show, for Correa, «the effects of the price of oil», the «international double standard» which, in his opinion, comes to light in contexts of crisis.
In this sense, he urged to take into account that «Venezuela is blocked» and «has a war economy», which would prevent it from being judged under «normal parameters», those of «a country where nothing happens». Correa acknowledged that conditions in Venezuela can be improved, but pointed out that an impartial assessment can only be made once the «criminal» sanctions are lifted.
For the former Ecuadorian president, it is necessary to «understand the context». «It is as if I were to say that what greater disrespect to freedom of the press to have banned the pro-Russian media in Europe. It is necessary to understand that they have a conflict on their doorstep,» he explained.
SPAIN’S FORGIVENESS On the other hand, Correa was of the opinion that Spain should ask for forgiveness for the Conquest, just as Pope Francis did «for what the Catholic Church allowed».
«It is an undeniable historical fact the genocide that was colonization, the plundering that was colonization,» said the former president. «I believe that it would not even be necessary to ask for it, for Spain to express its apology would have to be something spontaneous,» he concluded.
