Uruguayan President José Mujica Rejects “Foreign Interference” in Venezuela · Global Voices
Guillermo Vidal

The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and his Uruguayan counterpart, José Mujica, in 2013. Photo published by Secretaría de Comunicación on Flickr under Creative Commons License (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Uruguayan president José Mujica declared his opposition to any “foreign interference” in the current volatile situation in Venezuela, where the government and the opposition are involved in a bitter conflict. In an interview with TV channel Telesur, the head of state expressed his solidarity with the government and people of Venezuela and urged respect for the Venezuelan Constitution.
“Today I want to express the wish that within the framework of the Venezuelan Constitution, which, if respected, is ample – possibly the most ample in Latin America – a peaceful solution to the conflict can be found,” said Mujica, adding that “the weakest end up paying the price” in violent conflicts.
He ended his statement with a call to avoid external intervention in the conflict, appealing to reason as a way to mediate tensions: “Staying prudent in tense moments is a recommendation that should be kept in mind. Again, I emphasize my hope that no one will interfere with events in Venezuela.”
The official Twitter account of the Presidential Secretary of Communication [es] posted a summary of President Mujica's interview on the channel Telesur:
#Mujica reafirma solidaridad con el gobierno, las instituciones y el pueblo de Venezuela http://t.co/rNdXfk25VZ
— Sec. Comunicación (@SCpresidenciauy) febrero 19, 2014
Mujica reaffirms his solidarity with the government, institutions, and people of Venezuela.
On February 14, the National Political Bureau of the Broad Front, Uruguay's governing party, released a statement [es] against the violent situation in Venezuela, calling it “an attempt [by radical sectors of the political opposition] to destabilize the constitutional government.” The Broad Front urged the nations of Latin America to remain strong and alert.
On February 17, the National Executive Committee of the Movement of Popular Participation (MPP) also voiced their opinion [es] on the situation in Venezuela, showing their concern about the conflicts taking place in its sister nation. The members of the MPP expressed their solidarity with the people and government of Venezuela, reaffirming their confidence in a peaceful and democratic solution to the unstable situation, placing the responsibility on the most conservative sectors of the Venezuelan right. They also emphasized their solidarity with the victims of the conflicts and their families.
The protests began in the state of Táchira on February 4, initiating a surge of violence that spread to other cities, including the capital. The conflicts have left at least 13 dead [es] and hundreds injured and detained.
For his part, Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro blamed right-wing groups for the incidents and called on his backers to show their support of the government.
Colombian journalist Javier Arana [es] voiced his appreciation for the Uruguayan president's diplomatic speech:
‘Pepe’ Mujica, el célebre presidente de Uruguay, admirado por su aplomo y gestos de paz, muy diplomático frente a la violencia en Venezuela.
— Javier Arana (@arana_javier) febrero 20, 2014
‘Pepe’ Mujica, the renowned president of Uruguay, admired for his tact and peaceful overtures, very diplomatic in face of the violence in Venezuela.
Communications strategist Jorge Ruiz Crespo [es] also shared his opinion on Mujica's speech:
Cuidado pueblo, reprochable la violencia en #Venezuela pero deben solucionarlo ellos, cuidado Latinoamerica que… http://t.co/qLnO5LizZi
— JorgeRC (@jorgeruizcrespo) febrero 20, 2014
Careful, people: the violence in Venezuela is objectionable, but they need to solve it themselves. Be careful, Latin America…
Elisa Escovar (@elisaescovar [es]) commented:
El tipo más honesto de este continente es Pepe Mujica: el único q se ha pronunciado a favor de #Venezuela
— Elisa Escovar (@elisaescovar) febrero 25, 2014
Pepe Mujica is the most honest guy on this continent: the only one who has spoken out in support of Venezuela.
Mujica's statement against foreign interference in Venezuela gave rise to questions and criticism of the presence of Cuba in that country. User @Rerr1 [es] commented with irony:
La injerencia externa es golpista en Venezuela dice #Mujica, se referirá a los helicópteros y tropas de élite cubanas tal vez?
— 13M Es lo que hay (@Rerr1) febrero 20, 2014
Mujica says that foreign interference in Venezuela would be a coup, maybe he's referring to the Cuban helicopters and elite squads?
Simon José Antonio (@BolivarOfficial) [es] stated categorically:
Presidente Pepe Mujica rechazó “cualquier injerencia del exterior” en Venezuela. / Solo se acepta la de Cuba.
— Simon José Antonio (@BolivarOfficial) febrero 20, 2014
President Pepe Mujica rejects “any foreign interference” in Venezuela. He only accepts interference from Cuba.