What Happened Last Week in Venezuela? 🔎 The Government Strikes Opposition Witnesses
New rules for witnesses, more repression and the Carter Center is coming.
Pre-electoral obstacles
While Venezuelans watched the Venezuela-Ecuador match in the Copa América (2-1 in favor of Venezuela) on Saturday, the National Electoral Council (CNE) published new rules for polling stations witnesses. One main witness and two substitutes may be accredited per table, limited to the center where they voted. “Limiting the accreditation of witnesses to the center where they vote is NOT an exhaustive requirement of the law and it is the first time it has been requested,” said electoral expert Eugenio Martínez.
“This is designed against the structure of witnesses of the Unitary Platform,” explained political scientist Juan Manuel Trak, “This in addition to going against the norm and custom of witnesses, also seeks to increase control over the centers of a table by the UBCH, colectivos or other pro-government groups in vulnerable, rural or difficult-to-access areas.” That is, to facilitate irregularities.
However, several opposition spokespersons –such as Delsa Solórzano and Juan Carlos Caldera– assured that the opposition expected the measure and were “prepared.” Although, according to Martínez, the measure could affect 40% of the witness list created so far.
Before the announcement, Angelo Palmieri –organizational secretary of Un Nuevo Tiempo– announced that the Unitary Platform has 92% of the voting centers covered with table witnesses.
More and more and more repression
State security forces detained two young activists from Vente: Javier Cisneros and Gabriel González. The first was later released. With these new arrests, the number of social and political activists in Venezuela detained this year rises to 37: and 20 of them are members of the opposition campaign. González, along with the three activists arrested in La Guaira the previous week, were charged with the crimes of incitement to hatred and association to commit a crime. Vente Venezuela's lawyer also reported that Maribel Merola, head of the opposition Campaign Command in Naiguatá, was also harassed by the Bolivarian National Police.
Two mayors of Nueva Esparta and eight mayors of Trujillo were arbitrarily banned from running for office, via the CNE website, for supporting Edmundo González or receiving María Corina Machado on her tours. Subsequently, the mayor of the Ayacucho municipality in Táchira –who also supported González Urrutia– was arrested. In addition, two opposition councilors from Tucupita reported that they were "dismissed" and prevented from entering the Municipal Chamber after supporting Machado's visit to the Delta Amacuro state.
“A good part of the support for María Corina Machado in the regions comes from mayors, councilors, leaders and local and regional activists. Those who in 2021, against the current of the opposition itself, insisted on participating [in the regional elections],” said political scientist Juan Manuel Trak, “today they are the ones the government represses.”
However, Machado – eceived by people who found out about her visit through WhatsApp groups to supply gasoline or surrounded by crowds of motorizados despite the typical road blockades by Chavismo– visited Guárico on her presidential tour. In Zaraza, several graffiti appeared allegedly made by the criminal gang the Tren del Llano, threatening Machado with death and calling her a “traitor.” Anyway, Machado visited Zaraza. Locals covered the graffiti with paint.
“The balance of risks seems to be asymmetrically positive,” reports the renowned English firm Barcleys, “There is a significant possibility of having a political transition.”
There will be international observation (sorta)
The Carter Center confirmed to the CNE that it will attend the presidential elections as an international observer. However, the Center clarified that –due to the limited size and scope of its mission in Venezuela– it will not carry out a comprehensive evaluation of the voting, counting and tabulation of results processes. It will focus on the national legal framework, as well as regional and international human rights obligations and standards for elections.
Brazil once again insisted on the broadest presence of observers in the Venezuelan presidential elections to guarantee their "legitimacy." "Whoever wins the election will need the greatest legitimacy, accepted by all," said Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira.
Complacent agreements
Nicolás Maduro signed an agreement with all the presidential candidates of the loyal oppositions where they not only agreed to recognize the results of the elections but "recognize that the CNE has complied with the electoral guarantees in each of the phases of the schedule" and "demand the absolute lifting of the unilateral coercive sanctions imposed on the noble people of Venezuela." González Urrutia and Enrique Márquez rejected the agreement.
Also, after an interview in which she questioned the candidate José Brito, the journalist Francesca Díaz had to leave the southern Venezuela station where she works: “I consider that in such a determining circumstance there is only one option: to live up to the challenge that the coverage of this electoral process represents. Because at this juncture we do not share the same information vision, I am leaving the home that was Electrik 97.7 FM for me.”
Chavismo's campaign
Nicolás Maduro announced a Venezuelan vice ministry of migration: "They went from working with dignity here to washing pots abroad", he said of migrants. Also, after doing a “ritual of repentance” with evangelical pastors in the Miraflores Palace, Maduro continued the courtship of the evangelical vote: “The prophecy will be fulfilled! Venezuela will be the spiritual center of the world, and with the embrace and protection of Christ, we will achieve it. The entire Nation is in your hands. “Amen, amen and amen!” he tweeted.
And Citgo what?
Vitol, the world's largest independent oil trader, is among the bidders in the auction of Citg 's holding company that took place last week in the United States. However, there are still months of litigation before there is a ruling ordering the sale of the holding company's shares. Additionally, OFAC would have to authorize the sale later. On July 15 there will be a hearing to find out the results of the second phase of offers but it is not an auction.
Venezuela Weekly Podcast
The consensus around the candidacy of González Urrutia, says Delsa Solórzano, depended largely on a group of female leaders from the opposition parties: Is there a gender revolution in Venezuelan politics? Solórzano, Paola Bautista de Alemán and others discuss it in the Venezuela Weekly podcast. Watch and subscribe!