The election in Venezuela is always contentious. I've written quite a bit about it over the years (see everything here; on the previous presidential election see here). Some have decided already that is a fraud, and sustain that the previous ones were also, although that is far from clear, and most likely Maduro (let alone Chávez) did win all the previous elections. This time around things are less clear. First of all, the opposition seemed more unified, even with the disqualification of Maria Corina Machado, a mistake by Maduro, both from a general preoccupation with democracy, and also, because the actual opposition candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, might have been more effective.
In my view, the only way to know what happened one would have to check the data, and that is still not possible. Both Lula and Petro have asked for a peaceful recount of the votes. It is the only way to find out what actually happened. Same calls have been issued by reasonable opposition people like Francisco Rodriguez.
There is a great distance from saying that there were problems with the election, to suggest that is what fraudulent, and that Maduro is a dictator. Obviously Venezuela is flawed democracy. But, in all fairness, the US is very flawed too. A lot of people are excluded, some for questionable reasons, like being jailed, which disproportionately affects blacks and Hispanics, and several can't vote on a Tuesday, with limited numbers of polling places and not enough voting machines in poor areas, leading to much longer waiting times for working class people. Disenfranchisement is common here, and has been historically speaking. These are just some examples. And it would be an understatement to say that Trump, and many others, have authoritarian tendencies.
That is NOT to say that everything is fine with Maduro and Venezuela. Certainly he has authoritarian tendencies, and even if he is proved to be the actual winner, there were too many problems with the elections. However, these are only exacerbated by the sanctions imposed by the US, and the anti-democratic tendencies of the opposition, always ready to promote a coup, with US support. Lifting the sanctions, and a more rational American policy towards Venezuela could be the actual path for more democratic outcomes there. Hope springs eternal.
PS (8/4/24): It has been now almost a week, and the government has not provided all the information necessary for the recount of the votes and it looks increasingly like they won't do it. I still think that best solution, rather than acknowledging the victory of the opposition candidate, a mistake the US committed before, would be to lift the sanctions and engage in diplomacy, as Lula has been trying to do, in order to get the government to provide full vote tallies. After all, the US has engaged in diplomacy with much worse international actors.
wow, this is extremely disappointing....
ReplyDeleteMaduro and his party control all state institutions. He has jailed political opponents. How can you call him anything other than a dictator?
And no way the US and Venezuela are even remotely in the same category. I agree that democracy in the US is flawed, but by that measure Venezuela can in no way be categorized as a democracy.
Having leftwing ideas shouldn't lead one to defend the Venezuelan regime. They are simply indefensible.
You let the mood affiliation get the best of you
I said he is authoritarian. So far he won the elections (the previous ones; this one seems more iffy). His increasing move towards authoritarianism is driven by the embargo and the US policies. They tried to kill him, and many coups (they actually succeeded for a while in one against Chávez). So, although I do condemn his authoritarianism, I think it is a rational reaction to what he sees as illegitimate attempts to bring him down by illegal methods. And the opposition and the US still use those. Or you are so naïve as to think the US has not intervened in other countries elections? My position on this is the same as in all the posts that you can read on Venezuela going back for almost a decade. So no reason to be disappointed now.
ReplyDeleteOn the US, we are going to disagree. Half the time in this country the government is in the hands of someone voted by less people than Maduro has ever received (turn out here is often around 50%, and many GOP presidents, Bush, Trump, win w/o popular vote; once you add up they get less than 25% of the vote), minorities have many restrictions. The two party system eliminates viable candidates like Bernie (who was robbed by Hillary). Let alone this is the country with the largest prison population in the world (and only 4% of world population), and the majority are minorities with their political rights curtailed forever.
PS: If you want to judge me have at least the courage to sign your name.
PS: Bush didn't win the election in 2000 (popular or otherwise; voted by SCOTUS that was appointed, in part, by his dad, and with a problem in the State where his brother was governor)? Went to war without consent of Congress, and they gave a no bid contract to the company that gave a 50 million retirement to his vice president. Eliminated habeas corpus and other civil rights. Maintained, and they are to this day, prisoners in Guantanamo w/o trial of any formal accusation. Allowed torture. Did you call him a dictator. Sign your name and say he was NOT one.
ReplyDelete