Venezuelans Overseas Struggle to Register to Vote in Presidential Election

The scene outside the Venezuelan Consulate in Madrid was one of frustration and desperation as people lined up early in the morning to register for the upcoming presidential election in Venezuela. Pregnant women, families with small children, older individuals, and those with disabilities were among the crowd, some arriving as early as 4 a.m. before the office opened at 9 a.m.

Adriana Rodríguez, 47, who left Venezuela in 2018, shared her experience of waiting in line for four hours for two consecutive days, only to be turned away each time due to the office reaching its registration capacity.

With the highly anticipated election approaching and President Nicolás Maduro facing a significant decline in polls, the Venezuelan government has implemented strict registration procedures that hinder millions of Venezuelans living abroad from registering to vote. This affects a substantial portion of the electorate, as around 25% of eligible voters reside outside the country.

Many Venezuelans left their homeland due to challenging economic and political conditions, making the registration restrictions imposed by the government particularly controversial. Election experts argue that these measures amount to electoral fraud, as a significant number of overseas voters are likely to oppose Mr. Maduro.

Estimates suggest that between 3.5 million and 5.5 million eligible Venezuelan voters are located outside the country, out of a total electorate of 21 million individuals, according to experts and opposition activists.