World
Venezuela’s Election Declared Undemocratic by Independent Observer
An independent observer has declared Venezuela’s recent election undemocratic, raising concerns about electoral integrity and the political climate. Explore the implications of this assessment on the nation’s future and democratic processes.
Venezuela’s Election Under Scrutiny
The only independent observer monitoring the recent presidential polls in Venezuela has declared that Sunday’s election fell short of international standards and was fundamentally undemocratic. This alarming assessment raises significant questions regarding the legitimacy of the reported results. The mission, led by the Carter Center, a recognized pro-democracy organization, issued a statement late Tuesday asserting that the election contravened Venezuela’s own electoral laws. Furthermore, the government’s failure to provide a transparent vote count was labeled a serious breach of essential electoral principles.
This condemnation aligns with the sentiments expressed by the United States and numerous other nations, all of which have pointed out that the electoral process in Venezuela was marred by irregularities. The fallout from these claims has been severe, with reports indicating that at least 16 individuals have lost their lives in protests that erupted following the declaration of President Nicolás Maduro as the election winner.
The Carter Center was notably the only independent election monitoring body permitted by the Venezuelan government to operate within the country prior to the vote. Their findings arrived just hours after opposition leaders revealed updated election results, suggesting that Maduro garnered less than a third of the total votes cast.
On the day of the election, Venezuelans were faced with a choice between Maduro, who has maintained power since 2013, and Edmundo González, a former diplomat and a proxy candidate for María Corina Machado. Machado is a more prominent opposition figure who had been barred from participating in the election due to government restrictions. According to data released by Machado, with over 81 percent of the voting machines counted, González had secured approximately 67 percent of the vote, in stark contrast to the 30 percent attributed to Maduro. These calculations were derived from tallies provided to election observers, underscoring the significant discrepancies in the reported results.