CARACAS, August 6. /TASS/. The Venezuelan army command has turned down the opposition’s invitation to side with it, according to a joint statement by Venezuelan ministers of defense and the interior, Vladimir Padrino Lopez and Remigio Ceballos.
"The Bolivarian National Armed Forces and the police resolutely reject the desperate and provocative calls to a mutiny written in the letter released on August 5 on social networks by Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, a former presidential candidate, and Maria Corina Machado, a representative of the far-right opposition," says their statement that was posted on the Venezuelan defense ministrys’ X account.
"We reiterate our absolute fidelity to Nicolas Maduro, the constitutional President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Commander-in-Chief of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces, who was legitimately reelected by the power of the people and sworn by the electoral authorities to another office term," the statement says.
"Those who are claiming to be called democrats, have a long and dark reputation of supports of radical and absolutely non-constitutional, anti-democratic actions that run counter to all laws and interests of Venezuela’s society and people," it emphasizes.
"We want to stress once again that the July 28 election was held in conformity with the high standards of transparency with the participation of more than 900 international observers and representatives of all registered candidates," the statement notes.
The opposition, according to Padrino Lopez and Ceballos, "is seeking to mar the electoral process with the use of a scenario of violence."
"Now, they (the opposition - TASS) are trying to recruit military and police forces they have always disrespected and are calling on them to disregard law," the ministers said in the statement.
They recalled that 59 policemen and 47 army officers had been injured and two National Guard officers had died as a result of opposition radicals’ attacks. "These actions will be stay unpunished," the warned.