"Deplorable"

Translated "Avante!"article by Ângelo Alves, Member of the PCP Political Committee

The Venezuela presidential elections proved to be a popular and democratic participation exercise of the greatest relevance for the country, its people and a victory for all those who proceed a resistance struggle against imperialism aggressions, interferences and manoeuvres.

According to official data, over nine million and three hundred thousand citizens participated in the elections, 46.1% of the inscribed electors. The Venezuelan elections were monitored by about 200 international observers, and took place in 34 143 polls, spread by 14 638 electoral centres.

Organized by the Venezuela Electoral National Committee, according to the required by law and the Constitution, and took place under control mechanisms of the electoral rolls and voting, of excellence, and that combine the traditional method with the electronic vote, in a system, considered by many, as one of the best and more reliable, throughout the world. The elections’ security was ensured by 300 000 effective military servants, the voting centres having opened at the scheduled time and only closing when no more voters were in the queues, as previewed and as always happened during the 24 electoral processes, which took place since year 2000. This is the Venezuelan elections reality, the media and Venezuela enemies – one of the most scrutinized processes in the world, concerning elections – try to hinder.

The elections participation (46.1%) was under the 2013 outcome. That is one of the alleged facts by those who boycott the elections and state that priori, there were not to accept the outcome , and currently pretend to be the advocates of electoral participation, in order to attempt to de-legitimise the Venezuelan elections.

Those are the same that are elected, in elections of high abstention percentage, or even a voting minority as Trump’s case; the very same that as in Brazil, took over power through coups and imprison their political opponents; or even those who, amid the European Union deal with over 60% abstention and impose governments, interfere in election outcomes, imprison and persecute democratically elected candidates, and repeat referendums, to the limit of the “right” outcome.

But, if the low electoral participation was to be the purpose of Venezuela and democracy enemies, it was backfired. By analysing the numbers, it is clear to conclude that about 80% of the abstention increase is the result of the freefall of the main candidate, of the so-called “opposition”, that lost round 5 500 000 votes; and the Bolivarian forces, despite the economic war, and all the media arsenal, interference manoeuvres, threats and blackmail on the people of Venezuela, stands for the essential of its electoral support basis.

Only but a deep conscience of what is the Venezuela issue and a genuine popular support, concerning the Bolivarian process, ought to explain that, amid a great economic difficulty and a brutal external pressure, the elections took place and achieved this outcome. And therefore, it is “deplorable” that the Portuguese Foreign Affairs minister’s attitude, is, once again, side-by-side with lies, interference and imperialism.