▁the ▁owner ▁and ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁newspaper ▁El ▁Clar ín . ▁Over ▁time , ▁he ▁progress ively ▁became ▁a ▁strong ▁oppon ent ▁of ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁R óm ulo ▁Bet anc ourt ▁( second ▁presiden cy ▁ 1 9 5 9 - 1 9 6 4 ) ▁over ▁its ▁opposition ▁to ▁the ▁Cub an ▁government ▁under ▁F idel ▁Castro ▁and ▁its ▁alleg ed ▁repr ession ▁of ▁left wing ▁political ▁groups . ▁However , ▁Mi qu il ena ▁never ▁agreed ▁with ▁gu err illas , ▁calling ▁them ▁a ▁" res pect able ▁mistake ", ▁saying ▁" A ▁ 2 0 ▁year ▁old ▁who ▁dec ides ▁to ▁risk ▁his ▁life ▁deser ves ▁respect . ▁That ' s ▁what ▁made ▁me ▁a ▁def ender ▁of ▁the ▁people ▁who ▁were ▁fighting ▁the ▁battle ▁against ▁the ▁armed ▁forces , ▁even ▁though ▁in ▁priv acy ▁I ▁was ▁a ▁fier ce ▁enemy ▁of ▁the ▁gu err illa . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁mistake ▁that ▁cost ▁us ▁a ▁lot . ▁If ▁we ▁ch anne led ▁the ▁dem ocr atic ▁struggle ▁from ▁the ▁beginning , ▁with ▁all ▁the ▁strength ▁we ▁had , ▁through ▁a ▁rational ▁and ▁institution al ▁way , ▁who ▁knows ▁if ▁the ▁story ▁would ▁be ▁different ." ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 1 , ▁Mi qu il ena ▁joined ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Republican ▁Union ▁( UR D ) ▁party ▁and ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁Represent ative ▁for ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Fal c ón ▁in ▁the ▁Venez uel an ▁Chamber ▁of ▁Deput ies . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁he ▁left ▁the