How reliable is the exercise of the vote as a genuine expression of democracy in Venezuela?
Undoubtedly, in the democratic, prosperous Venezuela and protagonist in the election of its rulers, until the beginning of this nightmare that today represents the fifth republic, the vote constituted the lethal weapon of the people against the government that had transgressed the spirit of that will popular. There was a mechanism that allowed the masses to reject or support, in a forceful way, in terms of credibility to the government in power. There was, in some other electoral process, inconsistencies in terms of the minutes and votes, but nothing compared to the excess of vices that today seriously compromise the transparency of the process.
A CNE, whose maximum authority was good weather had to be renewed and that paradoxically is affecting the governing party. The same integrated by five members, of which, 4 are sympathizers of the oficialismo and only one of them represents the opposition; a very uneven correlation of forces with obvious advantage for the ruling party.
Elections are called by an illegally elected entity; the ANC, organism that represents a parallel National Assembly, to whom the government, from the very beginning of its swearing-in, undertook to neutralize at all costs, with the support of the TSJ, also adept at its cause. On the other hand, the government politically disables the leaders with greater force within the opposition to prevent having a contender that could pose a risk to their petty interests.
Venezuela is facing a scenario that does not meet the minimum guarantees to go to an electoral process, in which we all know what the results will be. In this context, the culture of abstention is imposed, as the only valid element to categorically reject the brazen pretensions of the government in power. The silence expressed in the abstention of the voters, would be a very interesting lesson and at the same time a primary input for the international community as a whole, to pronounce itself forcefully.