The Democratic Unity coalition won 99 seats in Sunday’s election, and the result will see Nicolas Maduro and his Socialists ousted. It will form a government with 99 seats compared to the Socialists’ 46 seats and Jesus Torrealba will become president.
Although it has been portrayed as an opposition party, the only thing the party has vowed it will do is to free jailed political prisoners and present legal reforms. Torrealba has pledged it will not dismantle many of its popular but costly welfare policies and has remained silent on much of the economic policies imposed by Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chavez.
The incoming president has promised to stimulate production, improve government salaries and pensions and enhance the central bank’s autonomy. Nothing about the price controls and production quotas.
Torrealba, who was described as an “evil Shrek” by Maduro, has urged the country to stand together and bury their differences. “We have been divided for years and the country has won nothing with this historic mistake … The Democratic Unity is not here to mistreat anyone.”
It seems that the only thing Torrealba and the Democratic Unity officials will do is reform the courts and try to make it more unbiased as opposed to being pro-government. With just two-thirds of the vote, the new government put forward reforms and new laws to transform the legal system of fairness and equity.
Thus far, there is no plan in place to reverse the skyrocketing inflation levels, shortages in basic goods and a destroyed currency.
Perhaps the Socialists are right. The new government is too weak and there will be friction within the coalition.
In the end, it’s just more of the same. The population will persist in its suffering.
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