DN Opinion. Sweden must support the opposition in Venezuela

As a venezuelan in Sweden I want to explain what happens in my country. In Venezuela there has always been major divisions based on class, but still, there was a social movement.

My mother did not have the money, but through hard work she created better conditions for their children. My dad had access to the university and was able to buy an apartment.

Such is impossible in today's Venezuela. I could not even dream to move away from home, even if I had a good job.

further. People can not find even the drugs and have to queue for hours to buy food. The poor have been hit the hardest.

the SVT program ”the Correspondents” recently showed how people are forced to look for food among the garbage. How can an oil-rich country can end up in such a situation? There is only one explanation: the economic system that has been carried out by the former president Hugo Chávez and his successor Nicolás Maduro.

Through price controls, expropriation and corruption, the economy has been destroyed. During the 00's low oil prices are high and the government spent it all.

the protest responded to the state with tear gas. Censorship in the media became commonplace, the armed groups began to terrorize critics and opposition leaders were imprisoned.

In the 2015 elections in which the opposition won two-thirds of the seats in parliament. The previous parliament filled the Supreme court with judges loyal to president Maduro. They annulled all the decisions of the newly elected assembly.

in 2017 built a constituent assembly up with the aim to rewrite the constitution with the same power as the country's parliament. The choice to this new assembly was annulled by the opposition and a large number of countries. The it company that handled the electoral system took distance from the official result.

a presidential election without the support of the law. Why can't Maduro to be the country's president. To the national assembly's president, Juan Guaidó, proclaimed himself president of the republic on 23 January has the full support of the law. The parliament's president must take the power if there is no elected president.

I see daily how my family, and the many millions of venezuelans are fleeing the country. It is time that our voices are heard.

Sweden must admit that Juan Guaidó is Venezuela's interim president. The statements that the government has made so far have been weak. The venezuelan people need support for a peaceful transition.

It is time to create a temporary government, hold free elections and end a terrible period in my country's history.