The Sun Sits with Venezuelan Opposition Leader David Smolansky
OPINION | This week, senior columnist Yihun Stith sits down with David Smolansky, the former deputy director of Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado’s presidential campaign. Multiple independent organizations have backed Smolansky and the opposition’s claims that they won last year’s election against Nicolás Maduro. A leading figure in Venezuela’s opposition movement, Smolansky now runs Machado’s office in Washington. Once a student activist, Smolansky rose to national prominence as one of the youngest mayors of El Hatillo in Caracas in 2013. In this role he earned praise for improving public safety and government transparency. His vocal opposition to Maduro’s regime eventually forced him into exile in the United States. In this interview, Smolansky faces tough questions: Does his movement receive financial backing from the United States? Are claims of foreign influence and terrorist activity in Venezuela, from Hezbollah to Washington, grounded in reality? What role would Smolansky play if the opposition were to come to power? Interview by Yihun Stith Filmed by Marian Caballo Edited by Marian Caballo
