A key meeting between the regime-dominated National Electoral Council (NEC) and opposition representatives was cancelled for the fifth time last week. Crucially, the meeting was primed to reach an agreement over how to validate more than 1.85 million signatures collected by the Democratic Roundtable Unity (MUD) opposition forum, to support a recall referendum against Venezuela’s current president Nicolas Maduro. 200,000 signatures are necessary to initiate the process. The massive collection of names within just a few days reflects the overwhelming desire of the Venezuelan people to have their voice heard over Maduro’s leadership.
According to the MUD’s spokesperson, Jesus “Chuo” Torrealba, Tibisay Lucena, president of the NEC, inexplicably canceled the meeting 5 minutes before it was scheduled to begin. In response to the sudden cancellation, the MUD held a press conference to condemn the abuse of power by the NEC authorities. While the NEC’s disregard for the legal process is hardly surprising, given the body’s persistent foot-dragging over the recall referendum until now, the MUD called for countrywide demonstrations this week, in an attempt to pressure the NEC into respecting the constitution and adhering to the law.
The Venezuelan people are facing a growing list of daily horrors. Countrywide power outages last for periods up to 6 hours every day; lives are being lost as 95% of hospitals are suffering a shortage of supplies, while more than 80% of basic staples are scarce. Inflation is set to hit at least 720% this year. The outlook is extremely bleak. Venezuelans are hungry and increasingly hopeless. Consequently, the pressure for change, or at least the hope of salvation is reaching bursting point among ordinary Venezuelans. As National Congress Deputy Speaker, Enrique Marquez has warned, the recall referendum is the only remaining “escape valve” for extreme social tension, the only outlet to help avoid a societal explosion. If the NEC continues to block the democratic process, to deny the Venezuelan people their voice, Venezuela could well tip over the edge into chaos.
Carlos Marquez is the Executive Director of the Venezuelan American Leadership Council www.venezuelan.us
