US Government Statement: Opposition Leader is winner of Venezuela’s election and now President-elect In response, the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared: “The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela rejects the serious and ridiculous statements attributed to United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in which he pretends to assume the role of the Venezuelan electoral authorities, demonstrating that the U.S. government is leading the coup attempt against Venezuela, promoting a violent agenda against the Venezuelan people and their institutions.”
National Lawyers Guild electoral observers praise fairness, transparency of Venezuelan election process; condemn the U.S. backed opposition’s refusal to accept the outcome of democratic election “The Venezuelan elections today were not only fair and transparent but also represented an example of popular civic participation. Their successful outcome is a triumph for the Venezuelan people, especially considering the level of US interference and attempted sabotage of the democratic process, particularly through sanctions and coercive economic measures aimed at producing ‘regime change’ in Venezuela.” They strongly condemned the opposition’s “attacks on the electoral system as well as the role of the US in undermining the democratic process.” The delegation underlined its absolute rejection of claims of fraud. The delegation has produced a brief and thorough report (forthcoming at nlginternational.org) expanding on the election process as well as attempts to interfere by the opposition, the US government and Western media.
Leonardo Flores: An Attack on Venezuela’s Democracy A massive cyberattack, a global disinformation campaign and armed gangs are key elements in an attempted coup in Venezuela following presidential elections on July 28. For months, the Venezuelan government has been denouncing the far-right’s strategy for these elections: use friendly pollsters to disseminate wildly inaccurate polls, favoring Gónzalez; denounce the elections before they were held; denounce the results before they were announced; and lead violent street protests similar to those of 2014 and 2017 (guarimbas).The National Electoral Council (CNE) is led by a council of five rectors; currently, three are aligned with the government, while two are aligned with the opposition. If there was widespread fraud, why have the opposition members of the CNE stayed silent? The opposition parties cried fraud in the 2004, 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2023 elections, without presenting credible evidence. A social media campaign using major bot network and AI that amplified claims of fraud and engaged in making fake news go viral. Among those complicit in spreading disinformation were Elon Musk. On the day after the election, Venezuela experienced violence as paramilitary groups and armed gangs burned buildings, sacked and looted a regional CNE headquarters, blocked roads, attacked police and military, beat up people who looked “chavista”, attempted to attack a hospital, burned a community radio station and school, tore down statues of Chávez and Indigenous leaders, attacked local community leaders, military installations and food distribution centers, among others. The real “irregularity” is the decade-long economic war Venezuelans have endured. They voted under threat of their lives being turned upside down again, of their family members dying of preventable conditions or leaving as economic refugees. Despite the threats, they rejected the far-right candidate and voted for peace.
Orinoco Tribune: President Maduro Files Supreme Court Appeal for Presidential Election Results Protection President Maduro, has filed an appeal before the electoral chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) for protection of the valid results, in order to resolve the attacks and the attempted coup d’état. “We are facing a criminal attack, not only in its violence, but also in its threats to the lives of Venezuelans, perhaps compared to 2002, the riots of 2014, 2017, [and] 2019 by Capriles, Machado, Guaidó…All this was led by González Urrutia and María Corina Machado. They know they will be defeated, and we the people will triumph with the Constitution.”
Ben Norton: US gov’t-linked firm is source of exit poll claiming Venezuelan opposition won electionThe supposed evidence that Venezuelan opposition leaders and their allies have cited to justify their fraud claim is an exit poll produced by a firm that is closely linked to the US government and does work for US state propaganda outlets that were founded by the CIA. A New Jersey-based company called Edison Research published an exit poll on the day of the election projecting that right-wing candidate Edmundo González Urrutia would win with 65% of the vote, compared to just 31% for Maduro. Edison’s top clients include CIA-linked US government propaganda outlets Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks, all of which are operated by the US Agency for Global Media, a Washington-based organ that is used to spread disinformation against US adversaries. Ben Norton: USA backs another coup attempt in Venezuela – with Elon Musk’s help
Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement on Venezuela election: Cuba denounces the irresponsible attempts to resort to violence and destabilization with the aim of producing a coup in Venezuela In the face of imperialist harassment, external interference, media and political manipulation and the opportunistic onslaught of the oligarchies and their representatives, the Venezuelan people decided to maintain their majority support for the… leadership of President Maduro, the PSUV and its allied parties. With no respect for the internal order of Venezuela or any other nation, the US and some members of the OAS tried to impose a resolution urging the Venezuelan electoral authority to recount the votes cast on Sunday, July 28, with the observation of international organizations, a demand that is not made to any country. The double standards with a clear ideological bias of the discredited Secretary General [Almagro] actively involved in the acts of violence in Venezuela in 2019, support for a self-proclaimed president without being elected by the people and in the promotion of the coup d’état in Bolivia in that same year.
Orinoco Tribune: Venezuela Expels Diplomats From 7 Countries After Blatant Interference in Election The announcement followed the unprecedented interventionist aggression and interference in Venezuelan internal affairs carried out by these countries. “The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela expresses its strongest rejection of the interventionist actions and statements of a group of right-wing governments, subordinate to Washington and openly committed to the most sordid ideological postulates of international fascism, trying to re-enact the failed and defeated Lima Group, which seek to ignore the electoral results of the presidential elections… which gave victory… to Nicolás Maduro, for the upcoming constitutional term 2025-2031. The government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in light of this disastrous precedent that threatens our national sovereignty, has decided to withdraw all diplomatic personnel from the missions in Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay, while demanding that these governments immediately withdraw their representatives from Venezuelan territory.”
TeleSur: Mexican President AMLO Calls for Non-Intervention in Venezuela’s Elections On July 30, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) called on the international community to avoid taking an interventionist stance regarding the presidential elections in Venezuela.He recommended waiting for the final outcome of the elections. “It is a matter of waiting for the results and also respecting the self-determination of the people.” “Don’t the governments of other countries … have things to do? Why do they have to get involved in the affairs of other countries? Why the interference?” Lopez Obrador also questioned the role of the OAS, urging this US-controlled organization to stop engaging in “politicking.” “On the basis of what foundations the OAS holds that the other candidate won? Where is the evidence?” President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum said, “We should wait for the final tally, make the voting transparent, and leave self-determination to the Venezuelans. I heard that 80% of the votes had already been counted. We should wait for the final tally, make the voting transparent, and leave self-determination to the Venezuelan people.
TeleSur: Attorney General Tarek William Saab gives a report on rightwing post-election violence and arrests He pointed out that there are 1,062 detainees for involvement in violent crimes by the rightwing on Monday. He detailed those 77 officials were injured and one was killed. In this wave of violence, police stations, local government, food distribution centers for the people and even educational institutions were attacked.
Al Mayadeen: Hungary opposes EU joint statement on Venezuela’s election results Hungary vetoed a proposed unified statement from the European Union concerning Venezuelan President Maduro’s victory in the recent elections, ultimately hindering its adoption. The bloc’s statement sought to express concerns over the alleged “flaws and irregularities” in the voting process.
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Events:
August 4: Venezuela Report Back from DSA International Committee
August 7, 1:30 pm: Venezuela and Nicaragua – successfully defeating the Monroe doctrine Francisco Dominguez, Camila Escalante, Stephen Sefton, John Perry, Becca Renk
August 11, 3pm ET. Nicaragua Webinar, “Celebrating 45/19: Nicaragua’s Revolution Lives On” Join us to hear a report-back from participants celebrating the 45th anniversary of Nicaragua’s July 19 triumph and ongoing Revolution.
August 12: Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition monthly zoom 2:30 PM ET. email NicaraguaSolidarityCoalition@gmail.com to request zoom access.
August 19-22 Protest at the Democratic National Convention. Join contingents against the US blockades and economic warfare on Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua Contact Stansfieldsmith100@gmail.com
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Delegations to Cuba, Nicaragua:
Cuba Delegations
December 1-9: National Single Payer: Invitation To Join Our Delegation To Cuba
Witness for Peace delegations to Cuba
Friendly Planet delegations to Cuba
Nicaragua Delegations Casa Ben Linder 2024
Email casabenjaminlinder@gmail.com to apply:
November 8-17 2024: Salud & Solidaridad: Hands-On Healthcare in Nicaragua
February 2025: The Bird Brigade: Birding in Solentiname Arquipelago
March 2025: Power & Protagonism: Women in Nicaragua
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This is also available at ChicagoALBASolidarity.org. If you have events to publicize or find helpful articles for readers on the ALBA countries you can post them on Facebook here: Venezuela; Nicaragua; Bolivia; Latin America in general (here or here) Or send them to venezuelaweekly@afgj.org or stansfieldsmith100@gmail.com.
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