Open Letter to Venezuelan President Maduro: Please Resign

En este momento de crisis político, económico y social que vive Venezuela, la decisión de una renuncia por parte del presidente Nicolás Maduro sería una buena solución. (Día a Dia)
President Nicolás Maduro has become Venezuela’s main problem. It’s time for him to go. (Día a Día)

EspañolMr. President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro:

It is still unclear to me whether you are Venezuelan or not, but assuming you were born in this country, I’d like to ask you, in the name of millions who are suffering under the current economic crisis, to step down as president.

As a Venezuelan, I have thousands of reasons to demand your resignation. My country has reached rock bottom, and it’s time to start over. The “revolution” you are commanding has destroyed the Venezuelan identity. I can’t stand one more day of watching people beg for basic medicines. This is not a luxury. People’s lives at at risk. Accept it, you must resign.

I refuse to tolerate your mockery of my people. You cynically tell them that life in Venezuela is good, but the truth is that most people are hungry and in need, while you and your cronies shamelessly squander our money on luxuries.

You only need a tiny bit of dignity to acknowledge that you are not fit to run a country. Nowadays, you are the country’s most serious problem.

Chavismo transformed Venezuela, although not into a sophisticated country. It turned Venezuela into a prison where mediocrity is promoted, ignorance is extolled, dissidence is punished, and reality is ignored.

You are at the helm, but not because you’re the most capable person around. Your administration has proved that the contrary is the case countless times. You are in charge not due to your own merit, but because Chavismo had no other choice when its leader died in 2013.

No one believes the story that all Venezuelans lead happy lives in an alleged state of equality, which certainly does not apply to your cronies. I’m absolutely sure than not even you believe the excuse that thousands of  “enemies” are to blame for our country’s problems.

This is why I feel contempt for those who lie to people by saying that “imperialism” is to blame for the lack of food. That “El Niño” is to blame for the shortage of water and electricity; that right-wingers are to blame for inflation; that paramilitary groups are the only ones causing violence; that we can’t make ends meet “because people are eating too much.”

Stop lying and quit already.

Take responsibility and have some humility. Stop manipulating your ignorant followers and put an end to this farce that is harming too many people. It’s not just the 5 million Chavistas who voted for you who are facing very difficult times. Each of Venezuela’s 30 million citizens  deserves a normal country, where most problems, which are unavoidable like in any other nation, can be overcome with hard work.

In every country, it’s common for citizens to mock their politicians. And in Venezuela, you are the laughing stock, except that politicians themselves are mocking citizens with every event, speech, and show.

A country where you have to wait in line to buy food, where people have their fingerprints checked like criminals just to be able to buy groceries, is not normal. A place where you can only go to the supermarket on certain days depending on your national ID number is not a normal country. You and your friends certainly don’t go through these hardships, so why must the rest of Venezuelans go through this humiliation?

Venezuelans won’t take to the streets and risk their lives for your resignation, because we face enough violence every day with the rising rates of homicides, theft, and looting. There is restlessness and generalized chaos. Let’s not forget the high levels impunity, which has been your greatest ally. Your immediate resignation, however, will help your country immeasurably.

We have drones and weapons but no medicine and no food. There are criminals who terrorize the population but no authorities to control them. I wish you made a greater effort to tackle the country’s problems than to target those who think differently. After 17 years of Chavismo, it’s an insult to tell Venezuelans that it’s time to change the economic model and stop relying on oil exports. Admit it, you stole it all. Stop yelling, and act.

Arrogance could end up costing you dearly. Clinging to power just so you can keep telling the rest of the world that you’re president is selfish when so many people are suffering. Not only the sick suffer because of the lack of medicine; mothers suffer when they can’t get any milk for their children, fathers suffer when they can’t make ends meet, the young suffer when they see no hope for progress anywhere in the country.

[adrotate group=”7″]Your followers live inside a bubble that one day will burst, because the people will only tolerate so much harm. We’ve had enough of your government’s restrictions on the most basic freedoms, such as the right to choose what to eat, what to dress, what to read or think. Who do you think you are to curtail so many lives? If you think about it, you will see that it is best to resign.

Stop playing a strongman character and be human. Your yelling, threats, and insults are of no use to address people’s hunger or illnesses. Posturing does not pay bills and insults don’t cure cancer.

Maybe it is you and your cronies who start rumors to keep the population in fear. Leave malice behind, you have played enough with Venezuelans’ hopes.

At this point, I care little if you were truly born here. But if you have ever loved Venezuela, please resign.

Translated by Daniel Duarte.

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