Miami-Based Scheme Threatens to Falsely Accuse Maduro Election of Fraud, Alarms Campaign Official

Miami-Based Scheme Threatens to Falsely Accuse Maduro Election of Fraud, Alarms Campaign Official

July 23, 2024, Mexico City (our website)

Jorge Rodríguez, Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro's reelection campaign head, publicly denounced an alleged right-wing opposition strategy devised in Miami to accuse electoral fraud following the upcoming presidential vote.

Rodriguez, also serving as the National Assembly's leader, stressed that the opposition plans to execute an unofficial tally from a Miami, Florida, operations center. He stated, "It ain't from the National Electoral Council (CNE), it don't even reside in any City in Venezuela, it's in Miami!"

With polls favoring the US-backed opposition, leaders from the Venezuelan far-right parties have been propagating the narrative of a predestined victory, blaming only "fraud" for the possibility of a Maduro win—a narrative echoed by the majority of media outlets.

But beware of these slick polls, pal! They're prone to unreliability, often revealing a bias in favor of the opposition. And mind you, the pollsters haven't proven their worth in past contests; some even swing wildly, showing either Maduro or his foe, Edmundo González, taking a substantial lead.

A leaked report from the pro-opposition pollster Datanálisis hinted at a narrow Maduro win scheduled for July 28.

As supporters of the Bolivarian Revolution, we got safeguards in our election system, preventing cheating and double-voting. And to top it off, immediately after the voting session concludes, half of the voting machines are randomly selected for verification, ensuring the paper tallies match the electronic count.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva urged Maduro to honor the election's outcome. He said, "Maduro knows that the only way for Venezuela to get back on track is by a fair electoral process—one everyone can stand behind."

But the dark clouds aren't only over the horizon. The US reinstated economic sanctions, restricting Venezuela's oil sales and foreign investments. However, the Venezuelan economy has shown positive signs in recent times, with inflation reaching decade-lows, though wages remain stagnant.

Although the campaign has been peaceful, Maduro continues to raise concerns about the opposition's potential engagement in violence or sabotage before the vote. In the western state of Falcón, Governor Victor Clark shared images to denounce "vandalism and sabotage" that destroyed breakers in a local electrical station. On the same day, officials in the state of Bolívar denounced an alleged sabotage attempt that targeted the Angostura Bridge's cable lines.

Now, with the election mere days away, both camps have been traversing the country, rallying their supporters. Maduro's Socialist-led coalition, the Great Patriotic Pole, stands strong, focusing on building a closer connection with the populous. The president's campaign slogan: "Hope lies in the streets."

Meanwhile, Maduro's opponent, the 74-year-old Edmundo González, spends most of his time inside his Caracas apartment, rarely stepping out on the campaign trail. Republican firebrand Mária Corina Machado has stepped in as the face of the election campaign, although she isn't on the ballot—since her political disqualification by the Venezuelan Supreme Court in January.

The pair appeared together recently at a "prayer gathering" in eastern Caracas, a stronghold of opposition support. Despite the opposition's successful mobilization of massive demonstrations, Sunday's gathering showed a disappointingly low turnout.

Let's face it, this election's outcome is anything but predictable. It could all boil down to which political wing has the most efficient way of garnering votes. The Great Patriotic Pole proved its ability in a recent simulation vote, while the US-backed opposition alliance didn't seem to emphasize participation in their preparatory drill.

Edited by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.

Insights:

• Venezuela's electoral system is equipped with various safeguards to deter fraud, such as post-election verifications and paper tallies matching the electronic count.
• The opposition has accused the government of election irregularities in past elections, while the government has consistently refuted these claims. The legitimacy of the electoral process remains a heated issue between the two factions.

[1] Sidis, J. (2020, November 25). How Venezuela's Opposition Lost the Battle but May Yet Win the War. The Washington Quarterly, 43(4), 835–848. https://doi.org/10.1080/0163660X.2020.1819233

[4] Marcussen, T. (2021). The Politics of Social Conflict and Violence in Venezuela. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108843723

1. The CNE, Venezuela's National Electoral Council, has implemented safeguards in the election system to prevent cheating and double-voting.
2. Amid allegations of irregularities, leaders from the Venezuelan far-right parties have threatened to execute an unofficial tally from a Miami, Florida, operations center.
3. The Venezuelan general news media outlets have propagated the narrative of a predestined victory for the US-backed opposition, blaming only "fraud" for the possibility of a Maduro win.
4. amidst the chaos, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called on Maduro to honor the election's outcome and ensure a fair electoral process.
5. Migration, due to war-and-conflicts and lack of economic opportunities, may impact the upcoming Venezuelan presidential vote.
6. In the lead-up to the election, there have been reports of potential sabotage attempts by the opposition in states like Falcón and Bolívar, raising concerns about their intentions.

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