Juan Pablo Guanipa is perhaps the strongest voice the Primero Justicia Party (PJ) has today. At least he shows no fear of holding on to his posts at a time when inexplicable turns of opposition political leadership are becoming increasingly frequent.
By Alejandro Hernandez | Big village
A few days before the December 3 referendum on Essequibo, Guanipa denounced Alberto Galíndez, governor of Cojedes state and a member of the PJ, and Manuel Rosales, governor of Guanipa’s home state of Zulia, for cronyism ripe in the Nicolás regime. “We are at a critical juncture and our leaders must act appropriately,” he maintains.
This is not the first time Guaniba has been seen in that position. In 2017, after winning the governorship of Julia, he refused to take the oath of office before a rigged National Constituent Assembly, which Chavismo took advantage of to oust him from office. In January 2020, Guanypa was also seen in a tumultuous session of the National Assembly, in which the so-called “Scorpions”, led by Luis Parra, ousted Chavismo, Juan Guaidó, as president of the parliament. “You’re offending your voters, get out of politics,” Guanypa said, until then to one of the opposition representatives, Freddie Paz, who was gunning to benefit Nicolás Maduro.
Now, in an hour-long conversation, Guaniba assesses what happened in the primary process, the referendum for Essequibo, the Barbados treaty, political differences with Henrique Capriles and even his brother Tomás Guaniba. “I don’t see any of the opponents who attacked the primary school and then participated in the Chavismo referendum realizing they were wrong.”
On the future of María Corina Machado, Guaniba was categorical that the entire opposition must rally behind her. “No one here can think of a way to chase him,” he says.
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