July 29, 2024 Update: Maduro commits lazy and incompetent electoral fraud, opposition declares historic victory.
Venezuela’s election authority (CNE) blocked the transmission of the results to the totaling center. The opposition only had access to 40% of the official voting tallies.Caracas Chronicles reported the opposition’s reaction.
María Corina Machado and González Urrutia talked to the press. “I’ll go first,” said Machado, “Venezuela has a new president elect in Edmundo González Urrutia. It was an overwhelming win… We won.”“It was historic,” she continued, “four quick counts gave the same results as exit polls, and right now we have more than 40% of the official voting tallies that confirm it. Edmundo González Urrutia won with 70% of the vote against Maduro’s 30%. It’s the presidential election with the largest victory margin in Venezuelan history.”
At midnight, the President of the CNE, Maduro hardliner Elvis Amoroso, “announced these results: with 80% of the transmitted votes and with a participation of 59%, Nicolás Maduro won with 5,150,092 votes (51.20%); landing Edmundo González Urrutia in second place with 4,445,978 votes (44.2 %).” He apologized for the delay in the results, saying it “was due to some sort of sabotage and asked Maduro’s prosecutor general to open an investigation. Prosecutor Tarek William Saab had said before that he would be holding a press conference the next morning at 11 am.”
Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel “recognized” Maduro’s so-called “historic victory” at 12:19am over X while armed govt groups seized ballot boxes to cover up the Venezuelan dictatorship’s historic loss.
This morning, Thor Halvorssen of the Human Rights Foundation over X called out the “lazy and incompetent” fraud in which “they gave three candidates the exact vote percentage: 4.6% (the probability of this happening is infinitesmally small). And, predictably, they are so bad at arithmetic that the official vote tally adds up to more than 109% of votes cast.”
Dictatorship’s prosecutor Tarek William Saab held his press conference this morning in which he said he was investigating María Corina Machado of “coordinating hacking attack from North Macedonia on Venezuela’s government controlled election authority.”
It is now up to the Venezuelan people and the international community to decide whether this fraud will continue or if Venezuelan sovereignty will be respected.
Election day in Venezuela
Elections are underway today in Venezuela, filled with irregularities and threats of violence by those in power, and the Cuban dictatorship’s official Youtube channel, CubaDebate, has posted three videos today featuring Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro. The role of the Cuban dictatorship in the disaster that is Venezuela today cannot be overstated.
The Biden administration eased sanctions against Venezuela on the condition that free and fair elections be held. Maria Corina Machado was barred from running in any elections after winning the opposition primary with more than 90% of the vote, citing alleged “anti-national” activities. She is backing Edmundo González, the opposition candidate permitted by the Maduro regime.
On February 7, 2024 María Corina Machado addressed the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in which she stated: “We have the largest torture center in Latin America. Cuban agents have been involved in torture cases in our country.”
You can see her full statement, and the questions and answers that followed here.
Havana’s first efforts to overthrow Venezuelan democracy
The Cuban dictatorship’s interest in Venezuela began from the earliest days of the regime.
First, Fidel Castro visited Caracas on January 23, 1959 and met with Venezuelan President Romulo Betancourt, a social democrat, “to enlist cooperation and financial backing for ‘the master plan against the gringos.” Betancourt insisted on free, and fair elections in Cuba.
Subsequently in 1960 Ernesto “Che” Guevara was giving unsolicited advice to Rómulo Betancourt, the democratically elected president of Venezuela. Guevara called for Betancourt to use the firing squad against his “rightist opponents.”
After that, Venezuelans understood the threat posed by the Cubans by 1960 when the Cubans sought to create chaos in Caracas, as the Congressional Quarterly reported on how:
“Riots led by Communists and other pro-Castro elements in Caracas [in the autumn of 1960] took the lives of 13 persons and injured 100. Venezuela recalled its ambassador to Cuba, and Betancourt ordered out the army to end the rioting, which he termed an attempt to “install a regime similar to that in Cuba.”
In addition, Cuban Communist leader Blas Roca, told a Havana rally on January 23, 1963 that when the communists gained full control and “make themselves owners of the great riches in oil, aluminum and everything their earth imprisons, then all of America shall burn.”
Moreover, a cache of three tons of weapons was found on a Venezuelan beach in November 1963 that was to be used to disrupt the 1963 general elections in Venezuela.
Furthermore, a well documented incident occurred on May 8, 1967 and was reported by Francisco Toro in The Washington Post who described how: “two small boats carrying a dozen heavily armed fighters made landfall near Machurucuto, a tiny fishing village 100 miles east of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas. Their plan was to march inland and recruit Venezuelan peasants to the cause of socialist revolution.” An all night gun battle with the Venezuelan military resulted in the deaths of nine rebels, two captured, and one fled.
Hugo Chavez, and Havana’s entry to Venezuela
The Castro regime’s efforts in Venezuela would not begin to bear fruit until December 1994 with the reception by Fidel Castro of Hugo Chavez in Havana to a hero’s welcome following two years in prison for a 1992 coup attempt against Venezuelan democracy. Four years later Chavez had won the presidency of Venezuela and the Castro regime finally had its entry to Venezuela. By 2007, Chávez had declared that Cuba and Venezuela were a single nation. “Deep down,” he said, “we are one single government.”
End of judicial independence: the Afiuni case
The attack on the independence of the Venezuelan judiciary took a dramatic and high profile turn in 2009. Freedom House in their 2024 report “Visible and Invisible Bars” outlined the 2009 case of Venezuelan Judge María Lourdes Afiuni, and the chilling effect it had on other judges.
In Venezuela, Judge María Lourdes Afiuni was deprived of her liberty for years, in a case that served as a warning to other judges that they had little protection from severe and arbitrary state reprisals.118 In 2009, Afiuni had ordered the supervised release of a banker accused of financial crimes because he had been held without conviction for longer than the legal limit; the individual subsequently fled the country. Shortly after her decision, Afiuni was arrested on corruption charges, held in detention, and then, two years later, placed under house arrest before being released on the condition that she not leave Venezuela, among other measures. In 2019, she was sentenced to five years in prison.119 (The sentence has yet to be executed.)
Cuban dictatorship’s commander Ramiro Valdés Menéndez sets up residence in Venezuela
In 2010 at the Geneva Summit for Human Rights, Democracy, and Tolerance I provided the following diagnostic on the situation on the ground in Venezuela.
“In Venezuela. The government’s response to those Venezuelan citizens protesting against the Chavez regime, shutting down independent media outlets is to denounce those using Twitter, and text messaging as terrorists. Police firing tear gas at students and a call for government supporters to prepare for battle. In the midst of all this, President Hugo Chavez welcomed into his ranks a high-ranking Cuban official, commander Ramiro Valdés to address the energy crisis in Venezuela. Valdez doesn’t know much about electricity but knows how to set up the repressive apparatus of a totalitarian police state, which he did in Cuba 50 years ago.”
When Hugo Chavez died in 2013 the succession to Nicolas Maduro was planned in Havana.
Gunning down nonviolent youth for protesting Maduro
On February 12, 2014 Venezuela’s National Youth Day millions of young students took to the streets to nonviolently protest “the social and economic crisis caused by the illegitimate government that Venezuela has today.” Young Venezuelans inside and outside of the country mobilized in a coherent and sustained effort to expose the anti-democratic nature of the Maduro regime. A full and brief explanation was offered by Andreina Nash at the time in the video titled: What’s going on in Venezuela in a nutshell.
Regime tactics grew more deadly against Venezuelan youth, especially the poor. In 2017 Nicolas Maduro ordered the formation of the FAES – “the Spanish acronym for the Bolivarian National Police’s Special Action Forces,” according to Caracas Chronicles ” are police Death Squads in all but name.” On May 18, 2017 The Miami Herald reported that it had a secret recording of a Venezuelan general advocating for the use of snipers against street demonstrators. Beginning in February of 2014 the phenomenon of young Venezuelans being shot in the head while peacefully protesting was first widely documented and continued over subsequent years.
The dictator’s narco nephews, and the Soles Cartel
Franqui Flores and Efrain Antonio Campo Flores, two nephews of Venezuela’s first lady Cilia Flores were sentenced to 18 years in prison on [December 14, 2017] following their convictions in New York on U.S. drug trafficking charges.” The New York State attorney reported on the conviction over twitter. The two men were arrested in Haiti in 2015 and were found guilty in December 2017 of trying “to smuggle 1,700 pounds (800kg) of cocaine into the United States.” Jackson Diehl in The Washington Post reported on the Venezuela, FARC, Cuba trafficking axis on May 24, 2015 in the article “A drug cartel’s power in Venezuela“:
Ever since Colombian commandos captured the laptop of a leader of the FARC organization eight years ago, it’s been known that Chávez gave the Colombian narcoguerrillas sanctuary and allowed them to traffic cocaine from Venezuela to the United States with the help of the Venezuelan army. But not until a former Chávez bodyguard [ Leamsy Salazar] defected to the United States in January did the scale of what is called the “Cartel of the Suns ” start to become publicly known. Spain’s ABC newspaper published a detailed account” … [and] ABC reporter Emili Blasco followed up with a book [that says] … Cuba’s communist regime and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah have been cut in on the trafficking.
On October 1, 2022, President Biden swapped the two nephews, now convicted cocaine smugglers, for seven Americans he said “were wrongfully detained.”
Christopher Dickey World News Editor at The Daily Beast on June 4, 2018 wrote a well researched and documented article “How Cuba Helped Make Venezuela a Mafia State” that outlines the Castro regime’s involvement in linking up Venezuelan officials with drug traffickers and guerilla groups.
Cuban counterintelligence is said to have tutored the Venezuelan spies, domestic and foreign, and helped to organize them to root out opposition to the regime of Hugo Chávez. Indeed, the Cubans taught them to do whatever might be necessary to survive.Over time, many of Chavez’s officers would become known as the Cartel de los Soles, the Cartel of the Suns: “cartel” because of their involvement with the drug trade on a scale that nobody in 1989 could have imagined; “the suns” for the insignias on the epaulets of Venezuela’s generals.”
For greater context, view the 2023 documentary, The Havana Cartel.
The Cuban occupation force in Venezuela
The Havana Times reported on December 8, 2018, that the Organization of American States Secretary General, Luis Almagro, “assured that there has been a ‘Cuban presence’ in tortures committed in Venezuela.” ‘It is estimated that the Cuban presence in Venezuela is 46,000 personnel, an occupation force that teaches torture, repression, intelligence work, civil documentation, and migration.'”
Angus Berwick in the August 22, 2019 Reuters article, “Special Report: How Cuba taught Venezuela to quash military dissent” reported that the governments of Cuba and Venezuela signed two agreements, documents reviewed by the news agency, in May 2008, that gave Cuba’s armed forces and intelligence services wide latitude in the South American country to:
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Train soldiers in Venezuela
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Review and restructure parts of the Venezuelan military
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Train Venezuelan intelligence agents in Havana
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And change the intelligence service’s mission from spying on foreign rivals to surveilling the country’s own soldiers, officers, and even senior commanders.
At the XX Meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission of the Cuba-Venezuela Integral Cooperation Agreement on January 20, 2020, Nicolas Maduro confirmed his government’s colonial status, saying, “I’ve told our older brother and protector, Raúl Castro Ruz, and he agrees.” And it was considered in this mixed commission, and we agreed. The ambassadors are practically members of the Council of Ministers; the Cuban envoy has open doors in every ministry to cooperate and move forward.”
Attorney, human rights defender, and executive director of the Casla Institute,Tamara Suju, over Twitter revealed that Maduro was still dissembling on the extent of the Cuban Ambassador’s existing role in Venezuela:
“The ambassador of the Cuban dictatorship is already an integral part of the Operational Strategic Command of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (CEOFAN) and makes decisions. No one from the island enters or leaves without him knowing. All missions and Cuban militia report to him. Dagoberto Rodríguez is the ‘Boss’,
Below is the video of Nicolas Maduro (in Spanish) from Monday, January 20, 2020.
On May 6, 2024 the Casla Institute, an organization that promotes democracy and the rule of law, in their annual report documented that Cuban officials run Nicolás Maduro’s “repressive apparatus” in Venezuela. This has meant the methods of torture used by the Maduro regime have incorporated “innovations” provided by Castro agents to increase Venezuelan victim’s suffering,
A dictatorship led by drug traffickers
The United States Department of Justice announced on March 26, 2020 that Nicolás Maduro Moros and 14 current and former Venezuelan Officials were charged with narco-terrorism, corruption, drug trafficking and other criminal charges. Maduro and other high ranking Venezuelan officials partnered with the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) to use cocaine as a weapon to “flood” the United States.
Neither violence nor passivity, but strategic nonviolence
No dictatorship has ever negotiated or voted itself out of power, and the Maduro regime is no different. They have used and will continue to use dialogue and votes as a tactic to delay and distract the opposition. However, nonviolent strategy remains the best option for restoring democracy in Venezuela, and using these opportunities to mobilize, expose and undermine the legitimacy of the dictatorship, while pursuing real change. “Violent flanks” and the use of the so-called “diversity of tactics” reduces mobilization and decreases the probability of success for a resistance movement. Strategic nonviolent thinker Gene Sharp put it succinctly when he said: “using violence is a stupid decision.” Violent resistance is not a short cut to ending the regime but prolonging its time in power while undermining the international legitimacy of the opposition.
France24, July 29, 2024
US expresses ‘concerns’, Cuba hails Maduro’s ‘victory’: Leaders react to Venezuela election
Leaders across the Americas reacted to Venezuela’s electoral authority’s announcement on Monday that President Nicolas Maduro had won a third term in office, despite several exit polls indicating an opposition win. The announcement sparked a mix of condemnation and support, with several countries questioning the election’s transparency and legitimacy.
Leaders across the Americas reacted to Venezuela‘s electoral authority’s announcement just after midnight on Monday that President Nicolas Maduro has won a third term in office, despite multiple exit polls which pointed to an opposition win.
US expresses ‘serious concerns’
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States has “serious concerns” about the announced result of Venezuela’s hotly contested presidential election that authorities say was won by Maduro.
Speaking in Tokyo on Monday shortly after the announcement was made, Blinken said the US was concerned that the result reflected neither the will nor the votes of the Venezuelan people. He called for election officials to publish the full results transparently and immediately and said the US and the international community would respond accordingly.
“We have seen the announcement just a short while ago by the Venezuelan Electoral Commission,” he said. “We have serious concerns that the result announced does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people.”
“It’s critical that every vote be counted fairly and transparently that the electoral authorities immediately share information with the opposition and independent observers without delay and that the electoral authorities publish the tabulation of votes. The international community is watching this very closely and will respond accordingly,” Blinken said.
Nine countries call for OAS meeting
Nine Latin American governments will call for an emergency meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS) permanent council, according to a joint statement published on Monday.
The governments of Argentina, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay express “profound concern” over Sunday’s election, according to the statement.
Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa, who called for the OAS meeting to discuss the “delicate situation” in Venezuela in a post on X, also said: “Throughout the region, there are politicians who try to cling to power and who intend to snatch peace from our citizens,” he said, warning of “the danger of dictatorship”.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said in a press conference he would wait until 100 percent of the results of Venezuela’s election were reported before recognising a winner.
The Brazilian government on Monday called for the “impartial verification” of Venezuela’s election results.
Brasilia “reaffirms the fundamental principle of popular sovereignty, which must be respected through the impartial verification of the results”, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Brazil’s government also hailed what it called a “peaceful” election day in Venezuela and said it was closely monitoring the vote count.
Peru announced it had recalled its ambassador to Venezuela for consultation over the election results.
“I condemn in all extremity the sum of irregularities with the intention of fraud committed by the Venezuelan government. Peru will not accept the violation of the popular will of the Venezuelan people,” Peruvian Foreign Minister Javier Gonzalez-Olaechea posted on X.
“The Peruvian ambassador to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has been immediately recalled for consultations.”
Similarly, Argentina strongly disputed Maduro’s win.
“DICTATOR MADURO, OUT! Venezuelans chose to end the communist dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro,” Argentine President Javier Milei asserted on X.
“The data announce a landslide victory for the opposition and the world is waiting for them to recognise their defeat after years of socialism, misery, decadence and death. Argentina will not recognise another fraud, and expects the Armed Forces this time to defend democracy and the will of the people.”
Chile said it would “not recognise any result that is not verifiable.”
“Maduro’s regime must understand that the results are hard to believe. The international community and especially the Venezuelan people, including the millions of Venezuelans in exile, demand total transparency,” Chile President Gabriel Boric said on X.
EU urges ‘full transparency’ in vote count
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called on Venezuela to ensure “full transparency in the electoral process”.
“The people of Venezuela voted on the future of their country peacefully and in large numbers. Their will must be respected. Ensuring full transparency in the electoral process, including detailed counting of votes and access to voting records at polling stations, is vital,” Borrell said in a post on X.
China and Russia congratulate Maduro
Both China and Russia congratulated Maduro on his re-election.
“China stands ready to enrich our all-weather strategic partnership and better benefit the peoples of both countries,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a regular briefing.
“Russian-Venezuelan relations have the character of a strategic partnership. I am confident that your work at the head of state will continue to contribute to their progressive development in all areas … Remember that you are always welcome on Russian soil,” Putin said, according to the Kremlin.
Cuba, Honduras and Bolivia took to social media to congratulate Maduro on his victory.
“Nicolas Maduro, my brother, your victory, which is that of the Bolivarian and Chavista people, has cleanly and unequivocally defeated the pro-imperialist opposition. They also defeated the regional, interventionist and Monroist right,” Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on X.
“The people spoke and the Revolution won.”
Former president Raul Castro spoke with Maduro over the phone to congratulate him, Diaz-Canel’s office said.
“Our special congratulations and Democratic, Socialist and Revolutionary greetings to the President Nicolas Maduro and the brave people of Venezuela for their unobjectionable triumph, which reaffirms their sovereignty and the historical legacy of the Commander Hugo Chavez,” Honduran President Xiomara Castro posted on X.
“We have closely followed this democratic festival and we welcome the fact that the will of the Venezuelan people at the polls has been respected,” Bolivian President Luis Arce said on X.
“We want to ratify our willingness to continue strengthening our ties of friendship, cooperation and solidarity with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.”