Symbolic singnificance of 2013 Venezuelan municipal elections

Authors:
José Alberto López Rafaschieri and Luis Alberto López Rafaschieri
www.morochos.net

On December 8 of this year, Venezuelans will choose mayors and local councilors in a nationwide municipal voting. The main significance of this event is that it will be the first election to be held after the technical draw of April 14, when Chavista candidate, Nicolás Maduro Moros, defeated Henrique Capriles Radonski 50,61% to 49,12%.

After that election, the group who attracts the most votes in the municipal electoral process will demonstrate to Venezuela and the world who represents the political majority in this South American country, giving, also, a popular evaluation of the president and opposition during the last months.

The uncontrolled rise in crime, inflation and commodities shortages will impact the vote for the party of Maduro, PSUV, but the contradictory position of Capriles, that is, inciting a popular uprising against the April elections results, and call now to participate in the municipal voting without pressing for any modification to the electoral system, will have also consequences on the vote for the opposition parties.

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The repression in Venezuela after the presidential election

Authors:
José Alberto López Rafaschieri and Luis Alberto López Rafaschieri
www.morochos.net

In the protests following the Venezuelan presidential elections of April 14, we highlight some topics about the government procedures to maintain the order:

1. The authorities primarily sent paramilitary forces of the ruling party to combat the street demonstrations, making the violence worse.

2. The government arrested several protesters and entered into his homes without following legal procedures. Also, PSUV politicians exercised pressure on the independent press to retain the censorship, specially, this time, in TV stations like Televen and Globovision.

3. The official reports about the situation included murders from other cases (crime, personal problems, etc.) and unverified attacks to public services installations, with the aim of demonizing the protests.

These elements show a government that use methods not approved by the human rights conventions.  We have pronouncements of the international community supporting the election of the new Venezuela's president, Nicolas Maduro, but we haven't any mention of this illegal use of force and lies against civilians.

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"No immediate pro-democratic change in Venezuela"

Authors:
José Alberto López Rafaschieri and Luis Alberto López Rafaschieri
www.morochos.net

Politikantrop published and interview in which the Ukrainian political scientist and journalist, Viktor Kaspruk, spoke with us about the current Venezuelan politics. You can read the entire publication by clicking here.

These are some fragments of the interview:

"The Bolivarian model is autocratic. It is based in the personality cult of Hugo Chavez. There is nobody in the government with the leadership to carry on the “revolution”. That will be the principal obstacle in the futures plans of the chavista elite."

"Chavismo will continue censoring the independent media and nationalizing companies. Since its arrival, the Bolivarian Revolution has not stopped expropriations, and today, the remaining private media are exposed to content controls, fiscal pressures, foreign exchange privileges and other forms of covered coercion."

"We see no reasons to believe in an immediate pro-democratic change if Hugo Chavez leave the presidency. The Venezuelan economy is now growing more than 5%, the government party (PSUV) controls every public institution, the majority of newspapers, TV and radio stations have adopted an accommodative bias, and the most important opposition political parties are beginning to do the same."

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