Politics
Young leaders of Venezuela's opposition parties, as well as student leaders, called the Venezuelan people to react to "a phase of repression and terror" by the government of President Hugo Chávez. They urged people to advocate democracy rather than public offices or political leaders in particular.

In a symposium called "Diálogo con Venezuela" (Dialogue with Venezuela), Yon Goicoechea, a young leader of Primero Justicia, an opposition party, asked the government to respect the democratic people of Venezuela.

"We demand respect for the Venezuelan people, we gained ground on November 23 (local vote). We won with dignity, with a hope for change. We did not win to hold government positions. We are not going to defend our jobs. We are not here to defend Maracaibo's mayor office or the Metropolitan mayor office. We are here to defend the dignity of the people who voted in Maracaibo and Caracas."

For Goicoechea, if Venezuelans allow Chávez administration to conduct further nationalizations and measures against decentralization, with increased political persecution and sabotage of the opposition efforts in the province, things will grow worse.