The electoral campaign for the 28 July presidential elections in Venezuela entered its sixth day today, with the distinction of progressing in peace and tranquillity, although threatened by extremist sectors of unleashing violence.

Perhaps the most significant event so far was the announcement made the day before by four opposition mayors, who declared themselves independent of any political party and expressed their support for the ruling party’s candidate Nicolás Maduro, who is seeking re-election and his third consecutive term in office.

At a meeting convened by the Comando Nacional de Campaña Venezuela Nuestra Siglo XXI, at the Hotel Meliá Caracas, and also distributed through a communiqué, the mayors, two of them present at the meeting, announced their «free and responsible decision» to support the head of state.

The officials decided «to take a step forward for the protection of the population that trusted in our proposal to govern the destinies», said in the text the mayors elected in 2021 Juan Carlos Zamora, of the Tinaco municipality, in the state of Cojedes (northwest).

In addition to Sulme Ávila, of Juan Germán Roscio, San Juan de los Morros, Guárico; Adrián Azuaje, of Obispos, Barinas state (north); and Pedro Antonio Abreu, Rojas municipality, also in Barinas.

According to international media and without being able to be verified, the latter later categorically denied having taken this step and affirmed that he supports the candidacy of the opposition candidate and presidential hopeful for the Plataforma Unitaria Democrática, Edmundo González.

«We denounce and reject any attempt to return to useless diatribe and violence as an instrument to obtain political positions and power», they stressed in the text.

The mayors acknowledged that much damage was done by the violence, with families mourned and plunged into sadness, by the «devious calculations of a few who move away from our commitment to attend to our voters within the framework of the Constitution».

They expressed their conviction that, beyond any political and ideological position, Venezuela requires «agreements and common plans that allow us to build a future where we all fit».

They also declared that the common objectives guiding their steps in the years to come should be «peace, stability, education, economic growth, employment and the return of our children».

«Let’s go with Maduro for a better and secure future,» they said.

The head of the Campaign Command, Jorge Rodríguez, praised the decision of the opposition burgomasters and meant their gesture beyond ideologies and political position.

He stressed that what is important is the Venezuela of peace, unity and consensus, which reaffirms what the head of state has said about taking care of the country.

Both Maduro and the other candidates continued with their campaign rallies throughout the country, where in general the rules established by the National Electoral Council, in accordance with the Electoral Processes Regulation, prevail.

Prensa Latina was able to observe the sobriety of the electoral propaganda, on both sides, during a tour, in which it was only possible to see the odd poster with the faces of some of the candidates and some pamphlets handed out by supporters, as is the case with Antonio Ecarri’s Partido Lápiz (Pencil Party).

The most confrontational scenario, without a doubt, is expressed through social networks and digital platforms.

In this context, the denunciation by Colombian paramilitaries of new plans by the Venezuelan ultra-right to generate violence, attack the electricity system and attempt against the life of the President, raised the alarm about the real intentions of this sector.

Attorney General Tarek William Saab added new elements the day before to the revelations of the so-called Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra, which, in communiqués on 4 and 6 July, exposed this miniscule opposition sector.

He explained that three meetings were held in the presence of an equal number of people in La Guajira in Colombia, and there they asked this group to attack the President in some street event that he has been carrying out.

Also against the electricity infrastructure in order to leave a large part of the country without energy, especially at the end of the election campaign, which ends on 25 July.