End Maduro’s genocidal regime, says defecting MP
Former Chavez ally says 14 others are ready to follow him and back leader of Venezuelan opposition
THE first Venezuelan politician to denounce Nicolás Maduro and switch his allegiance to Juan Guaidó has said the government is presiding over a “genocide”, adding that 14 other politicians were ready to follow his lead.
Fernando Orozco Cassiani caused shock waves in Venezuela on Wednesday by announcing during the parliamentary session that he could no longer support Mr Maduro.
“This is a genocide,” he told The Daily Telegraph, in his first interview since defecting. “And I was part of it. I contributed to something which was so terrible; I helped build it. The damage we did to Venezuela was awful.
“When I pledged my allegiance to Juan Guaidó, I felt relief… I think I’ll finally sleep well tonight.”
Venezuela has been in a state of high political turmoil for months. Mr Guaidó swore himself in as interim president in January, saying that Mr Maduro’s premiership was unconstitutional, leading to a nationwide crackdown on the opposition by Mr Maduro.
Mr Guaidó has so far failed to topple the government despite strong international backing, with the US and many other countries recognising him as the legitimate ruler and introducing sanctions to exert extra pressure on the Maduro regime.
Diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving Venezuela’s crisis accelerated yesterday as the government and opposition sent envoys to negotiate in Norway, though the two sides’ mutual mistrust and differences on key issues are likely to prevent any quick solution.
In the hours since his dramatic defection, Mr Orozco says he has received menacing phone calls from pro-government thugs. His family have already fled abroad.
The other 14 politicians, he said, were waiting, watching how he was treated before following his footsteps. “I’m no superman, but there is no step back for me, even though I’m now being hunted,” he said. “And what is more, the government knows that I know a lot.”
Mr Orozco, 56, is the first pro-maduro member of the opposition-controlled national assembly to throw his weight behind Mr Guaidó. Furthermore, he was deeply ingrained in the Chavista culture, and part of a political movement that created the “colectivos” – heavily armed, pro-government motorbike gangs.
He was also a member of the hardleft MBR-200, which Hugo Chavez led in a failed attempt to overthrow the government in 1992. By 1998, Chavez had expanded the MBR-200 to become his political platform, and this led to his election as president.
Mr Orozco was with Chavez every step of the way, first as a union leader, and from 2015 as a deputy.
The agonising decision to abandon Mr Maduro, Chavez’s successor, was months in the making.
On Wednesday night, he says his sources told him the government was holding a crisis meeting, looking for ways to arrest him. “I know the risk I’m taking,” he told The Telegraph.
“But given the situation we’re living in – the chronic shortages of food and medicine, the emigration, the lack of running water or electricity, the suffering of our families – I had no choice.
“We’re a nation of zombies now; we can’t buy clothes to dress ourselves, food to eat. Nowhere else in the world are you expected to live on $7 a month.”
Mr Orozco said his hand was forced by attacks on the opposition over the last week. Edgar Zambrano, Mr Guaidó’s deputy, was kidnapped and taken to a military intelligence prison.
Five deputies have fled to embassies. A further 10 have had their parliamentary immunity revoked, and many have gone into hiding.
He said: “I’m sending a message to the ‘colectivos’ – lay down your weapons. This is not the way. And if the international community wants a sign, we’re giving it now. It’s time to end this genocidal regime.”