In 1998, Hugo Chavez won the Venezuelan elections. With the promise of a better future and economy, he filled the hearts of Venezuelans emerging from oppression with hope.
For the first part of his presidency, he fulfilled those promises. However, in 2002, he and the country fell into a deep web of communism. Under his regime, branded as “the socialism of the 21st century,” he destroyed private businesses and corporations, nationalized mining and petroleum companies without fixing them, and through corruption, undermined national interests.
He plundered and ruined national assets, ties, and relations with other countries.
Government entities seized private sector entities, paying a minuscule fraction of their worth.
In other words, he destroyed the middle and upper classes, leading the entire country into poverty, except for his followers, small government entities, and families involved in his regime. This diminished every aspect of the economy and the population.
Additionally, Chavez and his followers (known as Chavistas) took over the three main powers in the country: the Supreme Court, the legislature (General Assembly), and the electoral college (CNE - Consejo Nacional Electoral), as well as the armed forces and all their branches.
An example of this power grab is the 2009 referendum of the Constitution, which allowed any elected president to be reelected continuously and indefinitely, ensuring the perpetual power of his party.
This forced 8 million Venezuelans to flee the country in the past 15 years. Despite numerous attempts by Venezuelan politicians and Democratic leaders to change the power system, they have failed every time. Any opposition party member has faced political persecution, incarceration, or exile.
Year after year, the people of Venezuela have been silenced, murdered, and imprisoned for speaking their minds, protesting, and even exercising their legal right to vote.
For 22 years, opposition party member Maria Corina Machado has had one goal: to bring liberty to Venezuela. From protests to the presidency, the Yale-educated politician has tirelessly tried to dismantle the regime but has repeatedly been stopped.
In 2015, the regime banned her from leaving the country, accusing her of treason for simply speaking the truth and ensuring Venezuelans were heard. She missed her children’s graduations (who were forced to emigrate out of Venezuela), special milestones, and repeatedly sacrificed her happiness for her country's liberty.
In 2023, she won the presidential primaries, hoping to ratify the country and win democracy. Yet again, she was stopped. In 2024, she was disqualified from running for president under the same charges from 2015.
As a result, opposition member Edmundo Gonzalez rose to take her place. Together, they led a successful, long, and well-organized campaign. On July 28, they led 17 million people to vote—a record number in Venezuelan history.
Once again, Venezuelans were stripped of their liberty. Maduro (Chavez’s successor) fraudulently elected himself as president and claimed victory. With control over the CNE, there was no chance he would let anyone else win.
Since then, Venezuelans have been protesting for their rights and the real election results, which the CNE refuses to release. However, with the help of “actas” documents found at each election center at the end of the voting cycle at each station and polling table, it was clear that the opposition won with more than 3/4 of the vote.
Since then, more than nine Latin American countries have condemned the regime's actions, and many European and international organizations have expressed concern.
The U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, stated, “Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela's 28 July presidential election.”
Yet, no substantial support or action has been taken by the U.S. government. Kamala Harris, who is running for U.S. president, has not commented on what the U.S. might potentially do, despite numerous statements on other foreign affairs.
More needs to be done. While many report and comment on the tragedy, no action is taken.
Potential solutions could include stronger international sanctions against the regime, increased diplomatic pressure, and support for the opposition, ensuring they have the resources and platform to fight for democracy.
Additionally, foreign countries and human rights organizations could be mobilized to document abuses and advocate for the Venezuelan people on a global stage.
It is heartbreaking that millions continue to be silenced and displaced into poverty while American and foreign media largely ignore these issues. This tragedy is unfolding in a country with the most petroleum and natural resources in the world, a country that once liberated half of South America, and a country that opened its arms to millions of immigrants.
More needs to be done. Soon.
Photo Credit: Gaby Oraa/Bloomberg
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