On July 28, millions of Venezuelans will go to the polls to choose between ten presidential candidates, including incumbent Nicolás Maduro and main opposition challenger Edmundo González. The campaign has seen energetic participation all across the country and vigorous, democratic debate over the future direction of the country. However, a Western media narrative is already being spun to present the election as inevitably fraudulent – and pave the way for a new regime change operation if the right-wing opposition does not prevail at the ballot box.
According to this narrative, support for the opposition is overwhelming and the only possible way supporters of the government could win is through fraud. That way, if the vote does not go according to Washington’s wishes, yet another effort to remove Maduro from power by force can be initiated on the basis of the supposed illegitimacy of the results.
We reject this cynical, self-serving logic. Since the process of change called the Bolivarian Revolution began under President Hugo Chávez, Venezuela has held over 30 elections that have been conducted professionally and impartially. The electoral system includes multiple layers of fraud protection, including an extensive auditing process where representatives of all candidates are involved. For years, this system was recognized as fair and democratic by all outside institutions. What changed was that after the 2018 election of Maduro, the Trump administration made a clear decision to discredit the elections and withdraw recognition of Venezuela’s legitimate government so as to overthrow it.
The Venezuelan people have suffered greatly from all this. The crushing weight of U.S.-imposed sanctions caused misery across the entire population and was designed to create an explosive situation that would result in the unconstitutional removal of the government. A study by the Center for Economic Policy and Research found that these cruel sanctions have cost the lives of over 40,000 Venezuelans.
Washington failed in their political aim of instigating regime change. The economy is now in a period of recovery. Instead of turning a new page, the U.S. government has returned to using false election fraud narratives to create their desired crisis. We demand respect for Venezuela’s independence and the sovereign right of the Venezuelan people to elect their own leaders without outside interference.
- All-African People’s Revolution Party – GC
- Alliance for Global Justice
- Amazon Labor Union
- Americas Without Sanctions
- ANSWER Coalition
- Anti-Imperialist Action Committee
- Anticapitalism for Artists
- Artists against Apartheid
- Audre Lorde Project
- Black Alliance for Peace
- Black Lives Matter – OKC
- Carroll Gardens Association
- CLASE (Coordinadora Latinamericana de Acción Socialista y Emancipación)
- The Claudia Jones School for Political Education
- CODEPINK: Women for Peace
- Committee of Anti-Imperialists in Solidarity with Iran
- Council on Hemispheric Affairs
- Cumbe Center for African Diaspora Dance
- Defend Democracy in Brazil
- Diaspora Pa’lante Collective
- DSA International Committee
- Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice
- Friends of Swazi Freedom
- International Action Center
- The Louis Riel Bolivarian Circle of Toronto
- Massachusetts Peace Action
- MN Anti-War Committee
- Mobilization Against War and Occupation (MAWO)
- Nodutdol
- Osupa Productions
- Pal-awda NY/NJ
- Palestinian Youth Movement
- Party For Socialism & Liberation
- The People’s Forum
- Sanctions Kill Campaign
- Task Force on the Americas
- The Troika Collective
- Union de Vecinos
- Venezuela Solidarity Network
- Workers World Party
- Workers World Party International Action Center
