This is an important development. The governor José Vielma Mora of Táchira state, where student protests began on February 2, stated in a radio interview this morning (here’s an alternative audio source) that he opposes the brutal repression with which Maduro’s regime has confronted the protests. He also expressed disagreement with keeping political prisoner Iván Simonovis and opposition leader Leopoldo López incarcerated.
Vielma Mora is one of the most respected figures within chavismo. He comes from the military (participating in Chávez’s coup in 1992) and earned a certain degree of admiration after taking charge of and restructuring SENIAT, Venezuela’s tax agency, between 2000 and 2008. He has been referred to, perhaps mistakenly, as the only efficient chavista.
His attempts to distance himself from the brutality unleashed by Maduro against students nationwide could indicate the first open and public schism within chavismo. Vielma Mora graduated with Diosdado Cabello (Tomás Montilla Padrón, class of 1987), and his loyalty lies with Cabello.