Venezuela's Sunday Presidential Election

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

Incumbent Nicolas Maduro is favored to win - challenged by Chavista turncoat Henri Falcon and businessman/evangelical pastor Javier Bertucci.

A previous article explained he's linked to the Panama Papers tax haven scandal by an International Consortium of Investigative Journalists probe into his affairs.

A recent International Consulting Services (ICS) poll has Maduro's voter support at 55.9%, Falcon with 25.4%, and Bertucci at 16.2%.

A late April Hinterlaces poll has Maduro winning reelection with a 51% majority, Falcon with 28% support and Bertucci at 16%.

An early May Hinterlaces poll has Maduro with 47% support, Falcon with 34%, and Bertucci at 14% - Maduro very much favored to be reelected on Sunday or if a runoff is needed.

The US-supported undemocratic Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) urged supporters to boycott Sunday's election. 

According to the ISC poll, two-thirds of eligible voters are "absolutely certain" they'll participate in Sunday's election, only 4% saying they'll abstain. 

Venezuelans are suffering enormously from US economic war on the country, the main reason for dire conditions.

Commenting on what's going on ahead of Sunday's election, analyst Francisco Dominguez explained Washington  "substantially broadened the scope of (its) aggression against Venezuela by employing economic sanctions and systematic efforts to isolate it with false charges of every kind of wrongdoing," adding: 

"Within the US, the emphasis has been on depicting Venezuela as a threat to the security of the region and that of the United States itself."

"A step-change in the US's 19-year-long policy of aggression came in August 2017 with Trump's statement he would not 'rule out the military option,' thus signifying the possibility of 'regime change' through US military action" - indeed possible if Maduro is reelected, as expected.

Sunday's election will be Venezuela's 25th since Bolivarian social democracy succeeded the country's bad old days - pro-Western fascist rule Washington wants reinstated.

Media scoundrels are notoriously hostile to social democratic rule, American ones operating as mouthpieces for its hegemonic agenda. 

Pre-election, the NYT turned truth on its head, calling Venezuelan governance under Maduro "a dictatorship," highlighting dire economic conditions, failing to explain they're largely made in the USA, part of Washington's regime change strategy.

No candidates were barred from running, as the Times falsely claimed. None are political prisoners. The Times quoted academic David Smilde turning truth on its head, saying Venezuela's electoral process "clearly (is) not fair."

It's the world's best, shaming America's money-controlled process - a fantasy democracy, not the real thing.

According to the neocon/CIA house organ Washington Post, "(t)he region's longest-standing democracy during the second half of the 20th century, Venezuela descended into autocracy" under Chavez and Maduro.

WaPo has it backwards. The opposite is true. The Financial Times lost credibility, headlining "Venezuela's sham presidential election," saying:

Despite dire economic conditions,  "Maduro is almost guaranteed to win," adding his support "is bought…the country's highest profile opposition leaders…barred from running, in exile, or under arrest."

All of the above are bald-faced lies, scoundrel media rubbish, supporting despots friendly to the West, opposing sovereign independent democrats refusing to be subservient to US interests.

A follow-up article will discuss Sunday's election result.

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