The government of President Nicolás Maduro claims more than 41 percent of registered voters went to the polls to elect candidates for a National Constituent Assembly that will rewrite Venezuela’s Constitution. The right-wing opposition attempted to disrupt the process. “Polls were open until 10pm to allow everyone to vote, because many government supporters had been prevented to vote in their designated centers by the opposition.”
Despite the Efforts of the Opposition, Over 8 Million People Voted for the Constituent Assembly in Venezuela
by Resumen Latinoamericano
This article previously appeared in The Dawn News.
“The massive turnout gives the Constituent Assembly ‘the strength of legitimacy.’”
The President of the CNE, Tibisay Lucena, announced the election results. 41,53% of the people registered to vote attended the polls to cast their vote on the National Constituent Assembly promoted by the legitimate President Nicolás Maduro.
Around 8 million 89 thousand 230 Venezuelans said Yes to the Constituent, Yes to the Bolivarian Revolution.
“We all won, within the democratic framework,” said the President of the National Electoral Council. “We congratulate the people of Venezuela for this wonderful participation”.
She explained that the polls were open until 10pm to allow everyone to vote, because many government supporters had been prevented to vote in their designated centers by the opposition. Nevertheless, Lucena noted that the Venezuelan people were patient and voted in peace.
“This unusual, extraordinary, unique and unexpected vote is a victory of peace,” she added.
Nicolás Maduro said: “This is the biggest election held by the Revolution in all of its history. He who has eyes can see it, he who has ears can hear it!”
He highlighted that the massive turnout gives the Constituent Assembly “the strength of legitimacy.” This allows the government to legally carry on with the process to pass a new Constitution.
The Opposition Rejected Dialogue
Maduro also spoke about the Venezuelan opposition, which had made calls to violence and carried out attacks and anti-democratic actions in 200 voting centers around the country.
Maduro revealed that a Government delegation had been meeting opposition leaders for several weeks, including the President of the Parliament, Julio Borges, to try to get them on board with the Constituent process.
“Two weeks ago I offered them to participate as candidates in the Constituent process. But they refused”, he said.
Twenty-one government officials were injured by firearms, a voting school in the Pascua Valley was attacked with two grenades, and a sub-sergeant of the National Bolivarian Guard was killed.
Ali Abunimah is Director of electronicantifada.net, an independent online news publication and educational resource focusing on Palestine.
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