Opposition leader: "Radicalism only serves to strengthen Chávez"

Julio Andrés Borges Junyent (1969), the national coordinator of opposition Primero Justicia (Justice First) party, returned to Caracas with a backpack "full" of messages that the inhabitants of Ciudad Bolívar could not hand over to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez during his visit to the southern Venezuelan city on Wednesday, February 15. Borges also visited the Venezuelan city that very day, acting as a Deputy to the National Assembly (AN), to attend an event to celebrate the 193rd anniversary of the Congress of Angostura. In his round trip, he could feel the effect of primaries held on February 12: his counterparts of ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (Psuv), some of whom would never talk to him, treated him as a companion.

What is your evaluation of the opposition primaries?

It is most significant, not only because of the election of the candidates, but also because it was a decisive step for a country keenly aware of what is at stake (in the presidential ballot to be held in Venezuela on October 7) is not a victory in the election but the need to save Venezuela. People that support an alternative option have realized that it is possible to defeat a non-democratic government by means of democracy. Three million votes are very encouraging. The vote of people in February 12 was aimed at supporting a message we advocate, which is: Radicalism only serves to strengthen Chávez.

There was no internal confrontation in the campaign led by Henrique Capriles Radonski, (who won opposition primaries in Venezuela and will be the opposition presidential candidate). However, the role of the political parties declined and ideological lines blurred. When will political parties reorganize?

Henrique (Capriles Radonski) has said that Venezuela's problem is not an ideological one. This is precisely what Chávez wants us to think: you are either a capitalist or a socialist, a leftist or a rightist, a revolutionary or a counterrevolutionary. This is an unreal discussion. Henrique has done the right thing by putting it aside and going straight to the point; that is, which Venezuela do the people want. I view two different roles. On the one hand, the role played by the candidate who has a message for the future; who does not want to be identified with an ideological label. On the other hand, the role of the parties is to organize and provide an ideological content to those organizations. There is no need to wait for the future to realize the role of the political parties, it is a simultaneous role," the opposition congressman said.

First Justice party and Julio Borges had a low profile in primary elections. Was it a deliberate decision?

The campaign was a joint work and we all agree to do that. We need to go further and promote the new politicians emerging from primary elections: Richard Mardo (candidate to governor for the state of Aragua), Carlos Ocariz (candidate to governor for the state of Miranda), Wilson Castro (Bolívar), Carlos García (Mérida) o Gustavo Marcano (Anzoátegui). I am proud of a silent work that has produced positive results after ten years. On October 7, the presidential elections will not be won or lost by Henrique Capriles but by the whole country.

The situation of the country requires an urgent action beyond ideologies, but once this situation is settled and ideology returns, which will be the political ideology promoted by Justice First? Are there no center-right parties in Venezuela?

No, there are no center-right parties. Henrique as well Armando (Briquet, the head of the campaign team of the opposition presidential candidate) have already said so. First Justice has never been the speaker of center-right movements in Venezuela. (...) We want to consolidate a multiclass political party. We believe that we are a center-progressive party.

One of the main supporters of First Justice is the Spanish People's party, a right-wing political party. So, why do you say that FJ wants to implement a center-left platform?

I can tell you honestly that all the parties with which we have had relationships: the National Action Party, PAN (a conservative Mexican party), the U party (the Colombian ruling party), the Christian Democratic Union (a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany) or the People's Party have changed from center-right parties to the center of the political spectrum after a strong debate.

Could the center-right political spectrum be represented by María Corina Machado (deputy for the state of Miranda, independent)?

She has conservative people in her team and they support those ideas that are quite respectable. We are not conservatives. I am a social justice supporter.

Translated by Gerardo Cárdenas