Venezuelan bishops urge citizens to vote in crucial presidential elections

By Lisa Zengarini

Venezuela is set for critical presidential elections on 28 July that for the first time in over a decade could see the opposition to Chavista President Nicolas Maduro win the ballot, marking a turning point for the Latin American nation.

After ruling the country since 2013 amid economic downfall and political turmoil, in  October last year  Venezuela’s strongman  formally pledged to grant free and fair elections in 2024 at the end of a long negotiation with the US State Department to lift sanctions against his government officials.

The opposition candidate

Maduro is running for re-election against nine candidates including  Edmundo González Urrutia, a former diplomat chosen by the Unitary Platform, the main opposition political alliance, who according to opinion polls has a real chance of winning the ballot.

In light of the importance of the elections’ outcome, the Venezuelan bishops have issued a Pastoral exhortation  urging all citizens not to abstain from the polls to build a better future for the country.

Voting is important for the future of the country

“We need to overcome the temptation of abstention and apathy”, in the awareness  that "free, conscious and responsible participation in these elections is of great importance for planning a future of hope and building a country of progress, peace, justice and freedom", they said.

The long document released at the end of their 122th plenary assembly points to the impact of the ongoing economic and socio-political crisis which has marked Maduro’s tenure on the Venezuelan people “the subject of democracy”.

Hyperinflation, violence and social conflicts, constant political tensions, intensification of climate threats and natural disasters along with the Covid 19 pandemic have worsened the living and health conditions especially of the most vulnerable,  including women, children and indigenous peoples.

Deteriorating living conditions due to ongoing crisis

In recent years, the bishops note, Venezuela "has recorded a constant deterioration of the education system, people’s nutrition, healthcare, public services, citizens’ participation, justice and the freedoms enshrined in the national Constitution". This situation is aggravated by the fact "that many institutions have become self-referential, and are at the service of a single political party", they said.

The message remarks that even in the face of this situation, Venezuelan people still have "a new opportunity to make decisions through an informed and free vote that will bring about  a profound reform of democracy and civil society in Venezuela and the the quality of life in the country.

Vote is also important  for Venezuelans forced to emigrate

The document further highlights  that the election is also important for the millions of  Venezuelans living abroad “who will vote in the hope of reuniting with their loved ones in their homeland.”

Some 7 million Venezuelans have been forced to leave the country over the past ten years, in which opposition protests have been repeatedly repressed and hundreds of opposition leaders have been arrested, or exiled.

Call for respect of rights of opposition candidates

The bishops note  that the electoral system in Venezuela is “atypical” by normal democratic standards , as it doesn’t grant equal opportunities to everyone. They, therefore,  urge for an end to persecution and harassment  against opposition candidates, and call in particular on the National Electoral Council to ensure "the transparency and reliability of the results”. 

Accusations of electoral fraud and government interference have marred Venezuelan elections for years.  Alleged ballot-tampering led the international community to question the  legitimacy of the last presidential elections in 2018.

In this campaign Maduro’s government has banned his biggest rival, outspoken Maria Corina Machado, from holding public office. The same happened to her immediate replacement Corina Yoris. 

Urgent need for reform 

According to the Venezuelan bishops, the winners of the polls will have a lot of work waiting for them, including reinstating the separation of powers and respect of human rights. The country, the document said, also urgently needs to plan a new model of economy to create jobs and ensure a living wage, to improve the quality of its public services, to strengthen education and the health systems, fight against poverty and corruption, as well as to promote respect for civil liberties and freedom of expression.

Concluding the message invites the faithful to join in prayer for peace and the well-being of the nation and for fair and peaceful elections.