Why Are the US and Many Other Observers Disputing the Election Results in Venezuela? Pt. 2
Venezuelan opposition leader and Wilson Center Public Policy Fellow Leopoldo Lopez discusses the July 28th election results in Venezuela. Despite exit polls and printouts from voting machines indicating a landslide victory for opposition candidate Edmundo González, the electoral board declared different results without proof. In response, Venezuelans have taken to the streets to protest.
Transcript of Video
Why Are the US and Many Other Observers Disputing the Election Results in Venezuela? Pt. 2
This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.
The results of the election of 28th of July are being questioned in Venezuela for a very basic reason. Because there was a landslide victory of Edmundo González and the results that were read at the end of the day of 28th of July by the CNE, the electoral board, were obviously fraudulent. Edmundo González won by a landslide 70% of the vote. He won every single state, every single municipality of Venezuela.
How do we know this? We know this because the turnout of the people was massive. We know this through the exit polls. But primarily, we know this because there is a printout of every voting machine that is in the hands of Edmundo González's team that has been collected and has been published.
On the other hand, we have the CNE talking about a result with absolutely no element of proof. The election was a landslide victory by Edmundo González, and Maduro is forcing to impose a fraudulent result. The reaction of the Venezuelan people has been to take the streets. It's important to note that the streets have been protesting in many of the places that years back were the strongholds of the Chavismo-- no longer.
Today, Venezuela is united behind the sentiment of change, and it's important to underscore that the election was never free nor fair. The candidate who won the primaries, Maria Corina Machado, was disqualified to run for office. Millions of Venezuelans were not able to vote. More than 5 million Venezuelans who are living outside Venezuela were not able to vote. There was censorship. Radio stations, TV stations were shut down. Web pages were blocked. More than 100 people were detained going towards the election.
But even with all of those obstacles, the Venezuelan people massively supported Edmundo González as the beacon of hope and change for Venezuela.
Guest
Leopoldo López
National Coordinator of the Voluntad Popular political party, Venezuela
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