the keys to the unfulfilled points
A year has passed since the opposition grouped in the Democratic Unitary Platform and the government of Nicolás Maduro signed the toBarbados, a document that established improvements in electoral guarantees for the 2024 presidential elections, those that marked a new chapter in the country’s political crisis.
The “partial agreement on the promotion of political rights and electoral guarantees for all” contemplated the updating and purification of the electoral registry, the development of the audits planned in the electoral system and the promotion of a political climate that contributed to the peaceful development of conflicts. .
Since October 17, 2023 and until today, a lot of water has flowed in the country and the reports of violations of civil, social and political rights, as well as the questioning of the transparency of the elections, reveal the non-compliance with the Barbados agreement. .
Chavistas and opponents blame each other for the failure to comply with this agreement, which included some 15 points. In this note we remember some of the commitments that were not fulfilled:
Recognition of the rival
Photo: Chronicle One
The first point of the agreement was the recognition and respect for the “right of each political actor to select their candidate for the presidential elections, freely and in accordance with their internal mechanisms,” an agreement that was disrespected insofar as María Corina Machado was prevented from doing so. through political disqualification, participate in elections, despite being elected in primaries.
The same thing happened when the opposition tried, without success, to register professor Corina Yoris as a candidate for the presidency to replace Machado, a procedure that was prevented.
The opposition denounced that the Maduro government tried to “sabotage” the opposition primaries, through the judicialization of parties and the disqualification of several political leaders.
Electoral guarantees
In several of its points, the Barbados agreement considered electoral guarantees, which included the “development of all audits provided for in the Venezuelan electoral system, including those related to the electoral registry, with the participation of all political actors, the international observation and national companions in accordance with the electoral law.”
Photo: courtesy of Prensa Vente Venezuela
However, the CNE did not carry out at least three of the fundamental audits that were to be carried out after the elections, such as the phase II electoral data audit, scheduled for August 5 and 8, which was to verify the fingerprint bank, review their quality and that they correspond to those of the electoral registry.
Furthermore, the second phase of the citizen verification that re-audits 1% of the voting center tables was not carried out, nor was the phase II telecommunications audit, in which the configuration of the transmission systems was compared with the audited before the election.
International observers such as the Carter Center and the panel of experts sent by the UN questioned the electoral process. They stated that the CNE did not comply with the “basic requirements of transparency and integrity” essential to holding credible elections.
Electoral Registry
Photo: Chronicle One
The agreement also contemplated the “execution of updating the permanent electoral registry”, which should include special registration and updating days inside and outside the country, in addition to identification operations and the establishment of accessible registration points.
Civil society organizations and political parties widely denounced irregularities during electoral registration such as insufficient points for registration, delays in the installation of points in consulates abroad, as well as the request for unusual documents.
According to the Official Gazette, 11,992 voters were incorporated for the July 28 election, a figure that included 11,131 new registrations, 790 raising of objections and the incorporation of one voter due to correction of the date of birth.
Favorable political climate
Respect for the regulations, as well as the “promotion of public discourse and a political and social climate favorable to the development of a peaceful and participatory electoral process, without external interference with respect to citizens, the electoral authority, political actors and the laws of the country”, were other of the commitments agreed upon by the opposition and the government.
Photo: Chronicle One
However, the arrests before and after the elections, which are estimated at 1,916 (according to the Penal Forum), the intimidation of public officials against dissidents, the threats to those who supported the opposition candidacy and the forced exile of several members of the opposition They expose non-compliance with these conditions.
Balance in the campaign
The coercion of the media to omit even the name of the opposition leader from their programming schedules was a fact widely denounced during the presidential election campaign by organizations such as the National Union of Press Workers (SNTP) and the Colegio National Journalists.
Likewise, the transmission of Chavismo events on public channels broke with the agreement to “promote balance in public and private media.”
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