The president of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, expressed his concern about the resurgence of authoritarianism and populism in the region
EFE (via 14ymedio), Luque (Paraguay), August 20, 2024 — The lack of transparency in the July 28 elections in Venezuela shows that the democratic system of that country has collapsed, the Secretary for the Strengthening of Democracy of the Organization of American States (OAS), the Mexican Francisco Guerrero, declared on Tuesday.
“In what electoral process in the world do you wait three weeks to know the evidence that guarantees a result? Nowhere else in the world. What this confirms is that the democratic system in Venezuela has collapsed,” he told the EFE Guerrero agency, which is participating in the Paraguayan city of Luque of the XVII Inter-American Meeting of Electoral Authorities (RAE).
According to the official, the Venezuelans decided “on a direction that was opposite” to the results issued by the National Electoral Council (CNE), which formalized Maduro’s victory for a third six-year term in power, a result questioned by the opposition and by a large part of the international community.
The electoral authority has been characterized as ’being in the hands of the regime’
“In the case of Venezuela, in particular, I think it has been evident, it has been very clear, that people decided on a direction contrary to what the electoral authority says,” Guerrero said. In addition, he considered that the electoral authority “has been characterized as being in the hands of the regime of Nicolás Maduro.”
The Democratic United Platform (PUD), the largest Venezuelan opposition coalition, called the results announced by the CNE fraudulent and said that its standard-bearer, Edmundo González Urrutia, was the winner of the elections. Guerrero pointed out that the electoral “lack of independence” in Venezuela, as well as the “lack of political capacity” of the Maduro Government “to recognize what people have truly said at the polls, is what generated this crisis.”
In that context, the OAS delegate stressed the importance of “the electoral authorities being autonomous, being independent, not responding to the dictates of the powerful or to the interest groups.”
At the inauguration of the meeting, the Secretary General of the OAS, Luis Almagro, said, through a video, that they will continue to “fight for the return to democracy in Venezuela.” “The goal remains a democratic future, without political persecution, with full respect for fundamental rights,” said Almagro, who urged the electoral authorities to ensure that every voice and vote counts.
The OAS will continue to fight for the return to democracy in Venezuela, Almagro assured
During the opening of the meeting, which will conclude this Wednesday, the president of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, expressed his concern about the “slow resurgence of authoritarianism, populism and anti-democratic ideas” in the region.
He mentioned that many want to make people believe “that democracy is not up to the great challenges,” such as transnational crime, economic inequalities or insecurity.
To him, to them, I say today loud and clear: false prophets. On the contrary, I am convinced that the only way to fight against these dangers is not with authoritarianism or its first cousin, demagogic populism, but with democracy,” he concluded.
Peña also urged the representatives of the 27 countries participating in the meeting to ensure the validity of democracy and to give “clear answers” that guarantee citizen confidence.
“I hope that in these days when we hear voices of hopelessness that struggle for the return of authoritarian models, this meeting will constitute a true beacon of hope, of struggle for democracy, and that it is a light in the midst of darkness,” he said.
The crisis in Venezuela is not explicitly on the agenda
In Paraguay, the authorities of the 35 inter-American electoral bodies will analyze the impact and risks of artificial intelligence on democracy and the integrity of electoral processes.
Likewise, they will discuss multilateral efforts to preserve democracy, the health of the system and democratic institutions, and the promotion of secure information ecosystems in the electoral sphere.
Similarly, there will be a space for dialogue on the effects of political violence on the elections. The crisis in Venezuela is not explicitly on the agenda, although it will surely be one of the topics of debate.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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