Once again I’ll take my time and space to shout out my own opinion, this time on a matter that affects me and my fellow Sabians more than any intern issue in the micronational fringe. That matter is the current political situation in Venezuela.
Now let’s start by the start. You surely heard about the very known Comandante Chávez dying back in early March, and you’ve probably heard about his not so very known successor, fellow socialist Nicolás Maduro. Last sunday Maduro and another Venezuelan politician, Henrique Capriles Radonski (from the liberal conservative Primero Justicia party) debated their asses off in what was probably the shittiest election ever held in the history of Venezuela in the XXI century. But before we talk about the election, let me get deeper on the background of the political environment of the Bolivarian Republic.
When Chávez died, people really didn’t know what to do. Yes, we all saw it coming, we all knew he had cancer and he was dying, but once it was announced, that tuesday 5th of March that the Comandante, the Presidente, the leader of the Bolivarian Revolution, Hugo Chávez Frías had died, people blanked out. Following this, and of course as ordered by Chávez prior his trip to Cuba, his Vice President and fellow “comrade” Nicolás Maduro Moros assumed (interim) the Presidency. This really didn’t made anyone happy. Many chavistas couldn’t really picture Maduro as their president. Chávez was their president, they were socialists because of Chávez. And of course, the opposition didn’t like Maduro because, obviously, he was from the PSUV. But soon enough, everyone would have another reason to dislike Maduro: he is really dumb.
Was that too harsh? Well, I can’t find a way to put it in nicer words. Nicolás Maduro Moros is the dumbest politician Venezuela has ever seen in the high command. Now in my personal opinion, Chávez was not really all straight-minded, he had his delusional times, but he was an effective leader (for what he wanted) and he kept his strategies well-played. But Maduro is simply different. It only takes him a microphone to spit more bullshit and stupidity than an episode of Saturday Night Live. I can recall the time he spoke to a bird that was supposedly the spirit of Chávez, the time he said those who vote for Capriles would be condemned by the curse of Macarapana and the time he rapped about how he will spank Capriles and the Venezuelan bourgeoisie in their asses, just to give some selected examples.
Voting machine
Ok so election day arrives. First rainy day of the month here in Mérida and probably the coldest of the year so far. As well I have to clear out how voting works in Venezuela. Technically, in Venezuela your vote is electronic. You vote through a machine and once you’ve voted, the machine gives you a small paper receipt that says only who you’ve voted for. This paper receipt is placed in a box with the traditional CNE logo on it. The electronic vote is sent via satellite to the CNE headquarters in Caracas and the receipt is kept in the voting centre until the day after. Usually, these receipts would be ignored (of course, you already have the electronic vote) but this time that didn’t happen. According to the CNE (Consejo Nacional Electoral, National Electoral Council), the results of the elections would be ready by 9:00 pm VST. The results didn’t come out until 11 pm, when the rectors of the CNE walked out of their special deliberating room in the second floor of the CNE headquarters. They, leaded by the President of the CNE Tibisay Lucena (who I’ve lovingly nicknamed Mrs. Potato face) announced that Nicolás Maduro Moros had won the election with a 50.40% (or so) of the votes. Capriles had obtained a 49%. Next thing you know, shitstorm incoming. This is when we first start to hear it. A blast of sound starts to rise all over Venezuela. It’s a cacerolazo. That apparent 49% started to hit pots and pans and wooden spoons rythmlessly in disapproval with the results. That would just be the start. (It’s important to mention that groceries had been lacking in stores for about two months already, that made a lot of people vote for Capriles instead of Maduro.)
Next day Capriles publicly announced he was in the right to ask for the revision of all the boxes to check if the receipts match the results announced by the CNE last day, and that he did not recognize Maduro’s government, calling him an “ilegítimo” Lucena answered by saying “there is no need to do that, we have the electronic vote”. Again answering to that, Capriles called for a mass cacerolazo starting at 8:00 pm VST. Capriles asked for a peaceful protest, as he and Maduro had been dancing a blame tango in which they both claimed their contender wanted violence.
Soon the cacerolazo was not only being heard in Venezuela, but also in Colombia and Argentina where Venezuelan popuations are relatively big. By the time it was allowed to check the voting boxes, many of them had disappeared. Footage of the army getting rid of the boxes appears everywhere in Facebook and Twitter. Many of them were dismissed as old footage from 2010, though. And that’s what’s been going on for now.
Fuck your irresponsibility, Mrs. Potatoface!
I’d like to take a moment to criticize the incompetence of the CNE. I mean, three hours of delay? Missing boxes? Tibisay Lucena was so excited announcing Maduro had won she even forgot to mention the results of each state, which is done in every election (except for this one?). In a truly democratic state, there would be no need to “get rid of evidence”. If you haven’t done anything wrong, then why would you deny the Venezuelan people, a big portion of the Venezuelan people who want all the results to be public, their rights? Chávez died, and I honestly believe the Revolution has died with him. Now the high PSUV power is filled with corrupt politicians who only see benefit from their pockets. It’s all about interest now. Bureaucracy and glorification is the only thing that comes from the PSUV. What happened to the people? What happened to socialism? What happened to the poor, the farmers? The PSUV has been focusing more in getting Venezuelan celebrities to participate in their events rather than caring about the people who supports them. Once (and only if) the Venezuelan people realize the PSUV is doing nothing for them they’ll finally drop the pillars that support the giant dining table of the rich PSUV officials. And ey, I’m not supporting the opposition either, and I’m not a Capriles fan to be honest. Venezuela needs real socialists. Now you’ll probably bring up the topic of the Misiones and social programs, right? Well, to get into those, you need PSUV membership. A service that was intended for the entire Venezuelan people is now only to those who have a PSUV membership card. Pathetic.
The people is divided, and that has to stop. Maduro and Capriles blame each other for dividing the people. Guess what? We’re all guilty. It’s about damn time we realize it’s stupid to fight against our brothers, sisters, cousins, our friends, our fellow Venezuelans. It’s our time to wake up and say NO to greedy political parties who DO put us against each other. It’s about damn time. People kill, people insult, people hate because of a political affiliance? How long is that going to last? Venezuela is one. You want the true reason behind the crisis in Venezuela? It’s our fault. The people’s fault. And now it’s the people’s responsability to clean up the government and the politicians’ mess.
Nothing else to be said.
Ricardo Oviedo.
The SiV Phonograph 