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In an exclusive interview with journalist Jose Vicente Rangel which aired Friday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro covered a range of topics, from his relationship with his mentor and predecessor, Hugo Chavez; his ideals as president; his thoughts on Latin America’s current state of affairs; his hopes for the National Constituent Assembly; and ways to combat internal and external attacks on the country.
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“My aspirations have never been individual,” the president said, echoing Hugo Chavez’s legacy. “The dreams we have are dreams of patriotism that move a collective country,” the president said, adding that after seeing how much was accomplished by Chavez under his administration, he believed that "the future of the country rested in the hands of the people, moving together as one."
Speaking on the "Jose Vicente Hoy" show, Maduro reiterated his call to the right-wing opposition for political dialogue in the quest to resolve the country's conflicts based on mutual respect but also warned them not to underestimate the government or the people.
About the National Constituent Assembly, he said he visualized it "as a national leadership, a collective leadership that represents an entire country." The ANC was elected by over eight million Venezuelans on July 30 and has been working on modifying the Bolivarian Constitution and rectifying problems facing the country.
The Venezuelan head of state indicated that the ANC will work in alliance with the government to efficiently and quickly devise solutions to improve the country's economy. He added that the ANC will install a commission to respect the maximum price of products and thus combat the speculation of traders.
“I believe that with what we experienced July 30, the heroic elections, the heroic Venezuela that we saw in the elections of the Constituent Assembly, it has shown that one must persevere along the paths of two values: loyalty and love,” the head of state said, referring to loyalty to a project, love of one’s country and rights to a future.
Maduro stressed that power in Venezuela is free of ties, dependencies and is not subject to economic groups, adding that he believes that loyalty is a value which holds even greater importance today than it did in the past. “With loyalty to principles, to values, one can walk any path, one can walk through any difficulty."
He considered the political power bestowed upon him as president of the country a tool to be used to benefit the interests of the people, rather than transnational, political or economic elites as has been done in the past.
“I exercise political power in a humble, honest, independent way, with a totally collective vision of its direction, but I exercise it fully and totally in favor of national interests.”
According to the president, Chavismo is Bolivarianism for the 21st century, and since it has been successful in providing health care and education to the poorest sectors of society, it has impacted Latin American politics significantly.
“The right that has come to political power in some key countries such as Argentina, such as Brazil, the Paraguayan right, or Peru, is nourished by an anti-Chavista doctrine, anti-Bolivarian and by much fear, dread, almost terror fed by the force of ideas,” he added.
He accused these countries of being driven by United States' attempts to defeat the Bolivarian Revolution, converting the Organization of American States into a tool against the country.
“We are at the center of a debate and we have to live up to, not only to set the example for the happiness of our people but also to give an example so that ideas of social transformation, revolutionary ideas of the 21st century, shine,” he added.
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Maduro stated that had it not been for a strong social structure put in place by Chavez, the whole economy would have fallen, leaving bankruptcy as the country’s only hope for survival when oil prices plummeted.
Despite the jolt to the economy, the government has continued its social programs known as missions, built homes, raised the minimum wage, continued to meet export demands, while making payments to contractors and partners in a timely manner.
Maduro denounced an international media campaign against the revolution, which he said does not show the reality of the country. "They presented as heroes and warriors those who carried out violent acts during the protests, who burned institutions of the state and even people."
He urged the international community to unite in solidarity with Venezuela to safeguard the sovereignty of the country through dialogue to reject the extremism of the United States.
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