Return of Manuel Rosales, leader of the UNT Party, to Venezuela

The Socialist International is closely following the return today of Manuel Rosales, leader of Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT), to Venezuela. The ex-presidential candidate is flying this afternoon from the Island of Aruba to the city of Maracaibo, capital of the State of Zulia, where Rosales served as its former Governor, thus putting an end to his six years in exile.

The Socialist International expresses solidarity with the decision of the leader of the UNT, one of its member parties in Venezuela. With his return, Manuel Rosales defends the fundamental right of all Venezuelans to live in their own country. He returns to Venezuela fully aware that he is affected by an open judicial process against him. The Socialist International demands once again the Venezuelan judicial authorities to respect and guarantee the due process of all those with open cases, or who are serving sentences for political reason in that country.

The Socialist International considers Manuel Rosales’s decision to return as a new mark of the determination and efforts undertaken by the leaders and members of the opposition forces united together in the Mesa de Unidad Democrática, in order to achieve the realisation of free and just parliamentary elections on 6 December this year.

The Socialist International calls to respect the right of assembly and the freedom of speech of UNT militants, supporters of Manuel Rosales and citizens of Maracaibo, who have already announced their mobilisation on the occasion of the arrival of the opposition leader.