Enrique Marquez: I receive more attacks from the opposition than from Chavismo'

"I believe Venezuela is a different country after January 3. An external factor became an event that dramatically altered the internal landscape. Obviously, there's a new dynamic: the players have shifted. These events caught the opposition off guard. The U.S. government has made controversial and complicated decisions, but they offer the country an opportunity."

"We need a concerted effort from Venezuelan society to pressure the government. Changes must continue in the right direction. Right now, we are in the process of appointing a new attorney general and an ombudsman, and these are critical positions for the restoration of constitutional rights and the rule of law."

"It will depend on her actions. She is a product of her circumstances. What I do believe is that she is obligated to make the changes that are being proposed in the country. Our role will be to engage in politics and force those changes."

Enrique Marquez, a moderate social democratic politician recently released from prison, proposes a gradual democratic restoration in Venezuela by working within Chavismo institutions rather than opposing them externally. He believes the current political situation requires operating within existing legal frameworks to achieve political opening through persuasion and consensus. Marquez attended Trump's State of the Union address as an invited guest, criticizing Venezuela's political and constitutional conditions. His approach distances him from opposition leaders favoring external intervention, though he acknowledges the U.S. role as fundamental. He emphasizes that Venezuelan society must collectively pressure the government to ensure continued positive changes, particularly regarding institutional appointments like the attorney general position.

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