Julio Borges, in an interview on the YouTube channel Enler García TV, stated that Venezuelans would welcome sanctions if they help remove Maduro. Photo: Sirvall19.
Guacamaya, March 6, 2025. The opposition leader and former president of the National Assembly of Venezuela, Julio Borges, stated in an interview on journalist Enler García’s channel that the majority of Venezuelans support sanctions if they serve to remove Nicolás Maduro from power.
“After July 28, very serious opinion polls were conducted by firms and consultants from the United States that have been operating in Venezuela for many years, and the number showed that over 70% of Venezuelans said that if sanctions help Maduro leave, then the sanctions are welcome,” he stated in the interview.
Borges pledged to present the slides supporting his claim at a later opportunity. “What this reflects is that the entire country is willing to make the necessary sacrifices to get Maduro out of power,” Borges expressed. In his view, the process of “international pressure” to corner Maduro has been successful.
However, several experts have said that the economic impact of the cancellation of Chevron’s license in Venezuela represents significant losses. According to Ecoanalítica, the recent cancellation of Chevron’s license by the Donald Trump administration would result in a loss of between 4,000and4,000and4,500 million for Venezuela. This loss represents a severe blow to the Venezuelan economy, especially considering that Chevron contributed $2,400 million in 2024, a significant relief for the Central Bank.
Ecoanalítica has indicated that Chevron’s exit could destabilize the foreign exchange market, as the company provided a significant flow of foreign currency, posing a risk of hyperinflation.
Borges also emphasized that “any political negotiation must have as its sole result the removal of Maduro from power with all the guarantees he may want.”
On the other hand, the former opposition deputy also addressed in the interview the criticisms of María Corina Machado by other political actors:
“You cannot say that you are fighting for democracy in Venezuela and not accept the clear expression of the Venezuelan people choosing María Corina in the primaries. Yes, I feel that there is a kind of rivalry or jealousy in not accepting that a new leadership has emerged, and I believe that ultimately does a lot of harm to the country,” Borges noted.
These statements come as other opposition leaders, such as former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles Radonski and the current governor of Zulia, Manuel Rosales, have promoted electoral participation in the upcoming regional elections and have rejected the cancellation of Chevron’s license, expressing criticism of opposition leaders who have supported the Trump administration’s measure.
