Guaidó promotes opposition consultation in the street and abstention in elections

The head of the Venezuelan Parliament, Juan Guaidó, who is recognised as interim president by more than 50 countries, took to the streets of Caracas on Saturday to continue promoting "face to face" the opposition consultation on the legislative elections of 6 December, for which he also called for non-participation.

"On 6 December what needs to be done is easy: nothing," said Guaidó, quoted in a press release from his team, about the elections which he considers to be a "fraud". "But on Dec. 12 we will take to the streets to show that we are an organised and mobilised majority," he added, referring to the opposition vote that will be held that day, in which citizens will be asked whether they reject the Dec. 6 elections.

According to the press release, the opposition leader handed out flyers and talked to people about the objective of the consultation, as well as their reasons for asking to abstain. "There are many people who still do not know that the parties were stolen, that they stole the initials," he said in reference to the fact that several parties opposed to the ruling Nicolás Maduro were intervened by the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ).

The consultation, which was initially set to begin on Dec. 5, was postponed to Dec. 7 and will be extended to Dec. 12 in digital form through authorized platforms.

By the 12th, the "Consultation Centres" will operate inside and outside the country in order to deposit the ratification of the will.

The opposition will ask three questions, the first of which is whether Venezuelans demand "an end to the usurpation of the Presidency by Nicolás Maduro and call for free, fair and verifiable presidential and parliamentary elections," according to the National Communication Centre (CCN) in Guaidó.

The second question is: "Do you reject the December 6 event organized by the Nicolás Maduro regime and ask the international community to ignore it?"

Finally, the third question asks citizens whether they "order" the necessary steps to be taken before the international community to activate cooperation, accompaniment and assistance to rescue our democracy, address the humanitarian crisis and protect the people from crimes against humanity.