2024-08-13 13:00:13
Since Nicolás Maduro was officially announced as the winner of the presidential elections on July 28, 2024, Venezuela is facing one of the most severe political crises in its recent history.
The famous leader of the opposition, María Corina Machado argues that the real winner is Edmundo González Urrutia, the candidate of the United Democratic Platform (PUD)and he is determined to be the one to take over the presidency on January 10, 2025.
The controversy about the elections is not only limited to the borders of Venezuela. Inside the country, opposition figures and critical citizens have raised serious doubts about the transparency of the electoral process. Outside of Venezuela, governments and international organizations have also expressed skepticism.
The Carter Center, a respected international organization that monitored the elections, declared that “the process cannot be considered democratic.” This assessment is based on a series of irregularities observed during the elections, from media control to voter intimidation and manipulation of the results.
Despite the official declaration of the National Electoral Council (CNE) that gave victory to Maduro, the PUD presented minutes that, according to them, show that González received more than 67% of the votes.
However, to date, the CNE has not revealed the disaggregated results that support or refute these statements. This delay created an atmosphere of distrust and fueled tensions, leaving many Venezuelans in a state of uncertainty and doubt about the future of their country.
Edmundo González Urrutia and Maria Corina Machado
Pressure inside and outside Venezuela against Maduro
The international community has taken different positions regarding the Venezuelan election crisis. Countries in Europe and America have expressed their dissatisfaction with the electoral process and have asked for a negotiated solution. María Corina Machado expressed the urgency shown by these countries “firmly and unequivocally” to Maduro that his actions are “unacceptable.”
The international call for action focuses on protecting the sovereignty of Venezuela’s vote and preventing the government’s repression, which has led to more than 2,400 arrests and 24 deaths, according to some NGOs.
At home, Machado and other opposition leaders are organizing civil resistance movements. These demonstrations seek to challenge the Maduro regime through peaceful protest, despite the repression they face.
Beyond the protests, the opposition wants to keep alive the story of the imminent change of government, emphasizing the crucial role of international support.
The role of the military forces
Venezuela’s military forces have played a critical role in maintaining Maduro’s power. Despite the popular support of the military leadership for the president, María Corina Machado asks the military to respect the “sovereignty of the people” and choose not to oppress the people.
This issue is critical, since any significant change in the power structure in Venezuela requires the cooperation or neutrality of the armed forces.
Maduro seeks to control and censor social networks
In the current political situation in Venezuela, Maduro has taken a position in favor of strengthening the regulation and censorship of social networks through new legislation.
This initiative takes place after the objections which exploded as a result of election results, which left a balance according to data from the prosecutor’s office. 25 people died. Both the government and the opposition blamed each other for these protests and deaths.
In that context, Maduro urged the Venezuelan Parliament to speed up the approval of laws aimed at “fight fascism and hate”an aspect that would include stricter scrutiny of digital platforms and possible censorship of any opinion critical of the government or the State of Venezuela.
Maduro specifically requested that the National Assembly proceed quickly in the approval of these regulationswhich places particular emphasis on controlling online speech and applying a “strong hand” against those who incite violence or promote hateful acts.
According to this plan, a legislative project that was already discussed in April is being considered, which seeks to limit the spread of messages that encourage political violence through the networks.
Despite the proposed measures, there are people in civil society who feel that these actions a blatant attempt to suppress opposition following controversies surrounding the presidential electionswhich caused multiple deaths, according to reports from the prosecutor’s office.
In a recent statement during a session of the Council of State and National Defense, Maduro admitted that while social networks have positive aspects, they are also used to collect personal information from users and “bomb” nations for political purposes suspicious. This speech comes after he decided to block the X platform (formerly known as Twitter).
The president has also proposed the creation of a national and international commission to analyze how social networks influence the formation of public opinion and contribute to a climate of violence and hatred.
Jorge Rodríguez, president of the Parliament, said that more than 70 countries have already adopted similar regulations, and noted that discussions on these new laws would begin soon.
In response to the digital threat landscape, Maduro has ordered the creation of a National Cyber Security Council in order to protect the country’s technological infrastructure, while blaming American companies for promoting hostile activities in cyberspace.
In addition, the president of Venezuela TikTok accused TikTok of inciting violent demonstrations and denied that the platform limited its live broadcastshe answered while declaring that no one will be able to silence his voice, or the voice of Venezuela, linking these challenges to the spread of fascism.
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