Venezuelan citizens residing abroad, fleeing the dictatorial oppression of Nicolás Maduro, denounce through protests in different parts of the world that their consulates have made it difficult to register to vote in the July presidential elections, in which the Chavista leader seeks to continue in office , eliminating critics of the regime.
The political maneuver was observed in Latin American and European countries, such as Argentina and Spain, where voters and activists reported impediments to exercising their right to vote. Around five million people were expected to participate in the vote on July 28, even if they lived outside the country, many of them opposition members exiled due to the persecution of Chavismo.
The NGO Electoral Transparencywhich follows electoral processes in Latin America, considers that the obstacles are “systematic and respond to the fact that the National Electoral Council did not send any guidelines to the consulates”.
In response to demands from voters abroad, Venezuelan authorities blame the delays and difficulties in sending the machines to international sanctions.
According to UN estimates, approximately eight million citizens have migrated from Venezuela since 2014, fleeing the unprecedented crisis caused by the authoritarian Maduro regime. The population faces shortages of food and medicine, as well as political persecution, if they oppose the government's dictatorial actions. Abroad, rejection of Maduro's leadership is widespread.
The Venezuelan electoral register was last updated in 2018 and, according to official figures, only 107,000 Venezuelans reside in other countries. Of these, around 40,000 are registered in the United States, where there is no possibility of voting as consulates have not operated since 2019 due to the breakdown of diplomatic relations.
#Venezuelans #denounce #impediments #voting