Stalin González, politician from Un Nuevo Tiempo, on Vladimir Villegas’ program on Monday. Photo: Vladimir a la Carta.
Guacamaya, March 10, 2025. Stalin González, a leading figure in Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT), defended electoral participation as a key mechanism to drive political change in Venezuela during an interview on the program “Vladimir a la Carta,” hosted by journalist Vladimir Villegas.
On the occasion of his party’s 19th anniversary, González warned that abstention in the upcoming May 25 elections for governors and parliamentarians would mean “handing the country over to the government.” He urged the opposition to mobilize now to “change the future.”
González rejected the idea that the current political debate should focus on the polarization between “abstentionists and participationists,” as happened in previous elections. Instead, he emphasized that the priority should be to articulate a unified strategy that addresses the demands for change expressed by citizens during the presidential elections on July 28. “Sitting back, staying hidden, and waiting for time to pass is not a good plan. The consequence of doing nothing is that we will remain in the same reality,” he stated.
Regarding the fracture within the opposition, the leader questioned the relevance of the Unitary Platform, a coalition that he explained lost strength after being used to push “two or three different plans” during the presidential elections. “Today, the parties that make it up do not share the same path to build change. We must debate whether it still has a reason to exist,” he argued.
On the possibility of dialogue with the government, González was clear: “Politics cannot deny negotiation. Ignoring it would be to deny the very exercise of politics in Venezuela.” However, he clarified that any dialogue process must be framed within the demand for electoral guarantees and civil rights.
Stalin González was the representative of the Unitary Platform for the negotiations between the Venezuelan government and opposition held in Barbados through the mediation of the Kingdom of Norway.
The interview concluded with a call to action: “We must go out to vote as many times as necessary. This is the tool we have to fight,” insisted the UNT leader, as Venezuela prepares for a pivotal year in its complex political landscape.
