Prominent Venezuelan Opposition figure banned from legislature

Locked Out: Henrique Capriles

Venezuela (TelesurTV) – Prominent Venezuelan opposition figure and Miranda State Governor, Henrique Capriles, was banned from his own state legislature Thursday, after legislators slammed him for issuing controversial comments on Guyana. The state legislative council voted to declare Capriles a “persona non grata” – effectively barring him from entering the legislature. The Council’s President, Aurora Morales, said the vote was prompted by Capriles’ recent “irresponsible” public comments. Morales and the majority of council members are aligned with Venezuela’s ruling socialist party, the PSUV. “On July 11, 2015 … Henrique Capriles appeared giving statements in favour of the government of Guyana … thereby demonstrating his position and pro-imperialist character, an attitude that is contrary to the patriotism and sovereignty of the Venezuelan people, and specifically the people of Miranda state,” said Morales. Morales was referring to Capriles’ commentary on a territorial and maritime claim by Venezuela on Guyana. Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle earlier this month, Capriles accused the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of “beat(ing) its chest” over the long simmering territorial dispute. “What they want is to put an issue on the table to divert the attention of the Venezuelan people from the issues that affect them,” Capriles claimed. Formerly a presidential candidate, Capriles was once the de facto leader of Venezuela’s opposition, though his popularity has been eroded in recent years amid a power struggle within the right-wing. The territorial dispute by Venezuela long predates the Maduro administration. Venezuela reignited the issue earlier this month, after US oil giant ExxonMobil announced that it has discovered oil in Guyana waters. Maduro argued the Guyana government should have consulted Venezuela before going ahead with exploration, and accused ExxonMobil of trying to force a wedge between the two South American countries. Maduro has since called on the United Nations to mediate the dispute. http://www.telesurtv.net/engli...e-20150717-0017.html.