The withdrawal of the invitation to a European Union mission and the declines of experts from Colombia and Brazil to observe the presidential election on July 28 in Venezuela constitute a step backwards in the creation of an environment of minimum trust that helps certify the legitimacy of the results of that vote, according to experts.
At the end of May, the National Electoral Council announced that withdrew its invitation as observers international experts to the mission of specialists from the European Union, alleging that it would be “immoral” to allow it after its “neocolonialist and interventionist practices” against the country, referring to the bloc’s sanctions against Chavismo officials.
Days later, the Colombian government renounced the idea of sending electoral observers to Venezuela, arguing lack of time to put together a suitable mission. Immediately afterwards, the Superior Electoral Court of Brazil did the same, without further details.
The Barbados agreement, signed in October between the government of Nicolás Maduro and his opposition, contemplated the invitation to an electoral observation mission from Europe. The governments of Colombia and Brazil, for their part, say they ensure the integrity of these pacts and that the election is part of a resolution to the Venezuelan political crisis.
The withdrawal of three potential “broad and legitimate” electoral observation missions constitutes a significant loss for an election that will be held after two decades of polarization and in “a climate of mutual distrust,” according to political scientist Piero Trepiccione.
“In countries where there is open mistrust between political actors and polarization has been exacerbated, electoral observation is more important than in those where actors practice democratic alternation and there is minimal trust to dispute differences for power electorally. “, he said to the Voice of America.
Jorge Rodríguez, president of parliament and right-hand man of President Maduro, denounced last week that the opposition, which he called “ultra-right”, was already preparing a “plan” to denounce fraud in the July election.
Days before, Rodríguez had called on all presidential candidates to sign an agreement to recognize the results. “It is already known that they are going to claim fraud, I challenge them,” he said, in an event with the militancy of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela.
César Pérez Vivas, former governor of the state of Táchira, who supports the candidacy of González Urrutia, warned on Thursday about an alleged meeting between Rodríguez, deputy Diosdado Cabello and magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice to allegedly annul the candidacy, which would constitute “a fraud”.
Broad, free, competitive?
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, president of Brazil and one of the most active political leaders in terms of oversight and international mediation of the election in Venezuela, stressed by telephone to Maduro on Wednesday the importance of a “broad” observation of process.
Spain, with whom Chavismo has cordial relations, unofficially regretted the absence of a mission from the European bloc, although it confirmed its hope that the vote would be “free and competitive,” according to the agency. Europe Press.
The fact that electoral observation missions are not on the ground during key phases of the process, such as the registration of candidates or the review of the voter registry, already “generates insight,” according to political scientist María Alexandra Semprún.
The researcher and university professor emphasized the case of the European Union, whose revocation of its invitation was based on “insane excuses and radical ideologies,” which included expressions typical of the official discourse.
Semprún highlighted that democracy is considered a fundamental right of which “everyone” must be guarantors, both governments and the press and foreign organizations.
He insisted that the Chavismo governments and the Venezuelan electoral power itself “have been elusive” with the presence of international observers this century. Its detailed inclusion in the Barbados agreement was therefore “a point of honor,” he said. That pact “is being fulfilled half-heartedly and reluctantly” by the ruling party, he indicated.
Observation or accompaniment?
Luis Salamanca, doctor in political science and who served as rector of the electoral power of Venezuela, in his political participation and financing commission, between 2006 and 2009, stressed how important electoral observation is in political systems where there is “a significant loss” of democratic quality and electoral legitimacy.
He recalled that invitations to international observers experienced “a very big setback” during the government of Hugo Chávez, when his then vice president and later defense minister, José Vicente Rangel, “complained bitterly” about their reports.
Electoral observation then led to mere “accompaniment,” he said, in a scenario where foreign specialists had reduced powers and voices.
“That figure of observation had disappeared. He has returned to (political) language and has been forced to invite himself due to the need of the current regime to have a good press, good propaganda at a global level,” Salamanca commented to the VOA.
Salamanca considered that the international observation agreed upon in Barbados, which also includes the missions of the United Nations and the Carter Center, was agreed to avoid more “irregularities” in an election already with “very adverse conditions” for the opposition.
In the case of the UN, it would be a panel of a maximum of 5 experts who would prepare a private report on the election for Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the content of which would have no major political or media impact in Venezuela.
Salamanca pointed out that in Venezuela there are “leonine elections,” pointing out that “the most difficult part is for the opposition and the most beneficial for the government, with State resources, means of transportation, social programs” with overtones of the ruling party.
In his opinion, the “supreme condition” that will legitimize the election will be that voters can vote for the slate of candidates that is planned, without any changes.
“That will be the fundamental factor that will overcome all the missing conditions. That would fill the institutional void. “That’s where the shots go,” said the lawyer.
Therefore, not having sufficient international observation agreed upon by the parties can increase the risks of “attempts at manipulation” or “reprehensible” acts by any of the political blocs and even the international community, he warned.
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