venvifa’s statement on the occasion of elections in Venezuela

The Venezuelan Vincentian Friendship Association (VENVIFA) extends solidary congratulations to the Government and People of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (BRV) on the occasion of the successful holding of 23 free and fair regional elections on Sunday, October 15.

The peaceful nature of those elections confirm what honest objective observers and reporters have consistently noted over recent months— that the source of violence on the streets and elsewhere was the Venezuelan opposition, encouraged and supported by foreign capitalist interests with special leadership from US President Donald Trump. The Venezuelan military provided pacific support for those elections.

It is instructive to note that voting in Venezuela is triggered by the voter’s fingerprint. Although the vote is automated, ballots are also issued at the end of the day. These are added and compared with the results of the machine. They are taken to the minutes that are signed by all witnesses and members of the polling-stations. The opposition had its representatives in all the polling-stations of the country. International observers praised the integrity and transparency of the elections.

The massive turnout of more than eleven million voters once again puts the lie to the tale that Nicolas Maduro is a dictator in the practice of suppressing and murdering the Venezuelan people. The turn-out represented 61.14% of the registered electorate, a significant improvement over the 53% in the last regional elections in 2012. Voters had access to 30,724 authorized polling-stations in 13,559 voting-centers.

The outstanding victory of the socialists (18 of the 23 states (78%) with 54% of the votes) further confirms what an accurate assessment always revealed—that the balance of forces was in favour of the socialists. Sunday’s election provided statistical proof of this reality. The violent fascists of recent months were clearly a relatively small mob whose destruction and disruption received exaggerated coverage by the world’s capitalist media.

Congratulations are therefore in order for Venezuelan socialists who, with “PEACE” printed on their foreheads, marched forward to Sunday’s victory! The stage is now being prepared for another step in socialist construction in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. As President Maduro declared after the elections: “What this country needs is, with all its love, to build itself in peace, with all its independence”.

As the Venezuelan people chart another stage of their development, we in VENVIFA and progressives the worldover must craft another step in our solidarity. In order to counter the lies and distortions, it is necessary for the governments of both Venezuela and St Vincent and the Grenadines to provide us with the relevant information. The road ahead will be made difficult for Venezuelans by capitalists using propaganda and sanctions. It therefore becomes paramount that progressive political education be stepped up!

Mike Browne

VENVIFA President