Albanes: "Our hope is absolutely alive"

Teresa Albanes, President of the electoral commission of the Unified Democratic Panel (MUD) believes that all Venezuelans expect President Hugo Chávez to moderate his language, considering that Venezuela is not one-color and that half of the population disagree with his way of government.

"We hope the President to quit his harsh attitude when he addresses his enemies, because we are not his enemies, but his fellow citizens; we have the same rights as those who voted him. We discussed the matter of reconciliation and the President should make this a priority for his government. He should stop calling us scrawny,' or dull,' and call us fellow citizens, compatriots."

Albanes also labeled as "regrettable" that President Chávez had asserted in his victory speech that we had never lived in a better country. "In a nation where people die every week ad every day, where human rights to life, health, and education are jeopardized, in addition to insecurity, I can just disagree with his statement."

She said that the people who voted against the President cannot and must not lose hope. "I am not in mourning; I am willing to continue our work and our struggle to seek a different Venezuela," Albanes stated.

"The country is expectant, it is a country that is going to reflect on and carefully assess the results of what happened on Sunday. For those who back Capriles Radonski: we feel a little sad, but at the same time, our hope is absolutely alive, we will keep on working, let us not be downhearted," she remarked.

Translated by Andreína Trujillo