Douglas Rodríguez, Coordinator of Vente Venezuela in Bolívar State, gave an exclusive interview for lapatilla.com, recounted from a “protected place” about what happened outside the College of Engineers of Puerto Ordaz on the afternoon of this Tuesday, January 23rd, when the timely intervention of several people saved him from being kidnapped by alleged SEBIN officials.
Pableysa Ostos / Correspondent lapatilla.com
Unfortunately, the same fate did not befall the Vente Venezuela command chiefs, Juan Freites (Vargas), Luis Camacaro (Yaracuy) and Guillermo López (Trujillo), who were arbitrarily detained and until the time of writing this note, their whereabouts were unknown.
For Rodríguez it is all about attacks without measures and without foundations. “All because we are demanding that an electoral program be opened, that the electoral centers be opened so that young people can register, so that the young people who are registered may review their status, if they vote here, they vote there and the deceased do not vote again, and that this is a process of a clean, free, transparent electoral program, where Venezuelans can definitively choose who will be the one to guide Venezuela in the next six years.”
He assures that anything is persecuted, because they are a new party, with political innovation that is “decent, full of honesty, ethics, and they persecute us for wanting to denounce what we are experiencing and for demanding free elections, that makes no sense.”
He reported that after leaving the march that took place this Tuesday, January 23rd, from ‘Plaza del Hierro’ to ‘Plaza Monumento CVG’, he took off to bring food to the young people who would be in charge of the logistics and organization of the forum that would take place at the College of Engineers. When he noticed that on Monseñor Zabaleta Avenue, just a few meters away from where the headquarters of ‘Vente Venezuela’ party, a SUV with dark windows was parked.
“When I turn around, I look at the SUV, and I turn back. He already knew that it was a van normally used by the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN). And I started heading towards the Banco Venezuela traffic light, and I saw that they were also coming. I managed to get through, and I was able to mislead them along ‘green roads’ until I reached my house.”
Rodríguez specified that this happened at noon and that the National Directorate of Vente Venezuela, faced with the “kidnapping” of other party leaders, recommended that he “stay calm.”
They tried, but they couldn’t
Despite what happened at noon and the party’s recommendation, Douglas Rodríguez decided to go to the College of Engineers to accompany the young people and the different political parties that would be present at the activities.
“I was alone. I went alone, because I have no reason to fear anything. I am not committing any crime. I’m not a criminal. I am a lawyer of the Republic. And I have never lived from politics, I live from my profession. So I got there, I stopped my car about half a block from the door of the College of Engineers. When I got out and walked towards the door, I saw a gold 4Runner SUV, with four guys, with the same characteristics: dark windows,” the Bolívar State’s political leader told lapatilla.com.
Rodríguez indicated that there was a struggle between two subjects who got out of the vehicle and him. He realized that they were armed and that the intention was to put him in the truck. “They threw me to the floor. They wanted to drag me to the truck, but I managed to get under another truck that was in front of the door. By my feet, they pulled me, pulled me out, pulled me. And they threatened to kill me. I thought they were going to kill me. I didn’t let go. I was putting pressure on myself with my feet. They recorded it, I was screaming. And one of my colleagues saw this and came to my defense. They threw him to the floor, they beat him. And then another one came. Another one to defend me. He realized that they were only two against four armed men. And the entire team that was in that forum came out in my defense, which I appreciate and, of course, I thank God that they were there and that they were really helping me.”
In a secret place
He admits that he will be ensconced “until it is necessary.” Regarding the question of whether he will continue to lead María Corina’s campaign command in Bolívar, he stated: “I am not going to resign. We have seen excellent results since October. We ran a wonderful campaign. In the Primaries there were no problems of any kind. Now that it is about electing the president, these problems come. “I’m not going to resign ever.”
He stressed that they remain focused on “building the 600,000 people (team) who are going to defend María Corina’s votes. We are here, building all the commands (…). Make a great alliance with the citizens, with the political actors to build true unity and bring María Corina Machado to the Presidency of the Republic safely.”
Rodríguez reiterated his gratitude to those who came out in his defense this Tuesday and sent a message to his colleagues: “Keep going, let’s continue moving forward (…), because we are a party characterized by freedom and stability. That fear is not in front of us, that fear is behind us. Where is courage, strength and God, and God is going to help us. In God’s perfect plan we are called to liberate the country. And let’s move forward, and move forward. Although it is not just Vente, there are millions of people who want to get out of this and they are millions of libertarian citizens.”
“Let’s continue moving forward, supporting this great leader, this great woman, María Corina Machado who has fought and has given everything for everyone. That she has her people outside (of the country, exiled), her family outside (of the country, exiled), to free the country from this cruel situation we are experiencing. Hunger, misery, you know all what the country is experiencing. Because we want to exercise the right to vote, and that is a human right, a fundamental right.”
Members of his party have scheduled a press conference for this Thursday, January 25th, in the morning at the headquarters located on Urbana Street to offer their support to the general coordinator and campaign manager, Douglas Rodríguez.