What are the implications of the continuation of authoritarianism in Venezuela?
Maduro’s reelection through the electoral fraud of July 29th is a material and symbolic blow to the sovereignty and citizen welfare of Venezuelans and is a threat to other countries in the region. The Nicaraguan Democratic Concertation is concerned about the course of the presidential elections in Venezuela, feeling reflected in the struggle of the Venezuelan people against an authoritarian government that yearns to recover democracy through peaceful means, exercising their vote at the ballot box.
What the fraud reveals is that the opening of political spaces in Venezuela was an apparent and functional excuse intended to disqualify several presidential candidates, register an opposition candidacy and develop an electoral campaign in both physical and digital spaces, with the sole purpose of legitimizing a rejection of the sovereign vote accompanied by repression.
The arrest of opposition politicians and threats to their personal integrity demonstrated that the regime of Nicolás Maduro would not yield to the possibility of a transition of power and that popular participation was a political façade to legitimize the regime.
From a distance, the CDN Monteverde witnessed countless images showing millions of Venezuelan citizens participating in these elections, who according to independent pollsters overwhelmingly expressed their support for Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia and the change he represents, not only for Venezuelans in the country but also for the millions who have been forced to emigrate to flee this authoritarian regime.
It was to be expected that the National Electoral Council (CNE), controlled by the ruling party, would manipulate the results to benefit the regime of Nicolas Maduro. They have staged a mocking spectacle before the Venezuelan citizens who exercised their right to vote and for the international community, in which they accuse the opposition of alleged “hacks” and have declared themselves winners without presenting the electoral records.
Such actions cannot be categorized as anything other than electoral fraud. These days are crucial for the future of Venezuela and the region. The international community of democratic countries must step forward and do what is possible to prevent this fraud from being accomplished.
What does the continuity of the regime represent? The prolongation of Maduro’s authoritarian regime means the continuation of a serious humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, characterized by economic mismanagement, shortages of food, medicines, and basic services, and the absence of citizen and judicial security.
This situation directly affects the Venezuelan population, which will continue to suffer the ravages of economic vulnerability or will be forced to migrate en masse to neighboring countries such as the United States, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, and others in Latin America. This migratory wave creates enormous pressure on the health, education, and public services systems of the receiving countries, which face logistical and financial challenges to care for the migrants.
Uncontrolled migratory flows and the possible infiltration of criminal elements can destabilize security in neighboring countries. This manifests itself in multiple ways, such as an increase in transnational organized crime activities, including drug and arms trafficking, which represents an additional security challenge.
The Maduro regime has brought Venezuela into significant diplomatic isolation, affecting bilateral and multilateral relations in the region. Neighboring countries that oppose the regime face diplomatic and economic challenges as they try to balance their position towards Venezuela.
Furthermore, the continuity of the regime is a reminder of the raison d’être of this system, which operates through illicit operations with organized crime that it is now trying to extend and strengthen through geopolitical alliances with other non-democratic countries or countries with interests opposed to those of Western democracies, such as China and Iran, affecting the balance of power in the region.
The permanence of a regime that systematically violates human rights challenges collective efforts to promote and protect human rights in Latin America. The maintenance of an authoritarian regime in Venezuela can negatively influence other countries in the region, contributing to the erosion of democratic values and strengthening authoritarian tendencies.
Given this scenario, neighboring countries and the international community must develop joint strategies to mitigate the negative effects of the Maduro regime. This includes coordinated migration policies, targeted economic sanctions, and support for democratic initiatives within Venezuela.
We at CDN-Monteverde believe it is vital to close ranks with a community of democratic countries, societies, and movements to prevent further authoritarianism in Venezuela, and we urgently call on all democratic countries of the region and the world to unite in concerted and decisive action in the face of the crisis in Venezuela. The continuation of the Maduro regime not only perpetuates the suffering of the Venezuelan people but also represents a significant threat to the political, economic, and social stability of all of Latin America and beyond.