Abinader criticizes Leonel Fernández: “He supports Maduro, we support democracy”

Santo Domingo.- Dominican President Luis Abinader downplayed criticisms from former President Leonel Fernández, attributing their differences to fundamentally opposing political views. During his weekly press briefing, Abinader emphasized that these differences are rooted in their divergent stances on Venezuela’s political situation.

Abinader stated, “We have very different positions and visions, not just regarding the Dominican Republic, but the world. He criticizes our stance on Venezuela; he supports the Maduro regime, while we believe democracy should prevail.”

Abinader has consistently criticized Nicolás Maduro’s government, arguing that Maduro maintains power without upholding the basic principles of democracy, such as respecting citizens’ right to vote and protest.

Last Friday, Abinader’s condemnation of Maduro’s regime received international support when presidents, heads of state and representatives from 22 countries and the European Union endorsed his position during his second-term inauguration in Santo Domingo.

In contrast, Leonel Fernández recently participated as an electoral observer in Venezuela’s elections, offering conclusions that starkly differed from those of other international observers, such as the UN and the Carter Center. While these organizations denounced the lack of democratic standards, Fernández maintained that the Venezuelan crisis should be resolved internally by Venezuelans, though he did call for the publication of voting records to verify the results, which have yet to be transparently presented.