Miami-Based Plot Allegedly Threatens Election Integrity: Maduro's Campaign Advisor Issues Warning
Mexico City, Mexico, July 23, 2024 (our website) - Jorge Rodríguez, the man leading President Nicolás Maduro's reelection campaign, took a swing at a claimed plot by Venezuela's far-right opposition. He accuses the opposition of concocting election fraud allegations following Sunday's presidential vote, all while setting up a rogue vote count operation center in Miami, Florida.
Rodríguez, double-dutying as the head of Venezuela's National Assembly, had this to say during a press conference on Monday: "It ain't from the National Electoral Council (CNE), and it ain't even hidden away in any city within our borders. Instead, it's sittin' pretty in Miami."
The opposition's controversial plan could be another iteration of their play to question election results with skewed numbers. With polling in Venezuela seen as dicey, partly due to a measurable pro-opposition bias in pollsters, the far-right parties have raised concerns about "fraud" claiming only such shenanigans could keep Maduro in power.
Leaked reports from pro-opposition pollster, Datanálisis, predict a tight finish on July 28—a Maduro victory by a hairbreadth. Nevertheless, history shows Venezuela's robust electoral system, complete with a number of ballot-box safeguards, has seldom been prone to manipulation. In case of discrepancies between the electronic vote count and paper backup tallies, 54 percent of voting machines are audited at random.
Amid the election hustle and bustle, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called for mutual respect for the electoral process. He stated, "Maduro knows that Venezuela's path to normalcy requires an election that's universally accepted. It's that simple."
Following a brief reprieve, unilateral economic sanctions were reinstated against Venezuela, significantly hampering its oil sales and foreign investment. Despite these hardships, the Venezuelan economy has made strides in recent times, with inflation dropping close to decade-lows, even if wages remain stagnant.
Though the campaign has remained generally peaceful, Maduro has been cautioning about potential trouble from the opposition. He's warned they might resort to violence or deliberate acts of sabotage ahead of the vote. In the state of Falcón, images showed damage to a local electrical substation, blamed on "vandalism." In Bolívar, officials cried foul over sabotage efforts targeting the Angostura Bridge's power cables.
With the big day fast approaching, both political camps have been crisscrossing the country. Maduro's Socialist-led coalition, the Great Patriotic Pole, is known for their people-centric strategies, such as mass rallies and the catchy campaign slogan "Hope is on the Streets."
On the flip side, Maduro's rival, Edmundo González, has been absent from the campaign trail, leaving far-right politician María Corina Machado to spearhead the charge. Machado, despite not being on the ballot after her political disqualification, is viewed by many as González's proxy candidate.
Recently, the pair made an appearance at a prayer gathering in an eastern Caracas opposition stronghold. Although the opposition has gathered substantial support, Sunday's gathering fell short of their expectations, barely drawing a modest crowd.
Who has the better get-out-the-vote strategy? The Great Patriotic Pole demonstrated its prowess with a rehearsal vote recently, while the opposition alliance seemed uninterested in participating in the electoral dry run. The 2024 presidential election could ultimately hinge on which political force has the smarter vote-capturing machine.
Edited by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.
Note: Information about previous opposition attempts to publish vote tallies contradicting official results is based on research from various sources[1]. This fact is included for context and does not necessarily indicate a similar plan for the 2024 election.
- Roger Rodriguez, while speaking at a press conference, accused the far-right opposition in Venezuela of setting up a rogue vote count operation center in Miami, Florida, claiming that their election fraud allegations are baseless.
- Despite leaked reports predicting a close finish in the presidential election, the electoral system in Venezuela, governed by the National Electoral Council (CNE), has historically been robust, with safeguards against manipulation.
- Amid the political tension in Venezuela, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva urged for mutual respect for the electoral process, stating that for Venezuela to restore normalcy, the election must be universally accepted.
- As the 2024 presidential election approaches, both the Maduro-led coalition and the opposition alliance are intensifying their efforts, with the opposition expressing concerns about potential violence or deliberate acts of sabotage.
