End of campaign in Venezuela: EU observers for divisive polls

Audio 01:17

Venezuelan opponent Tomás Guanipa, candidate for mayor of the capital this year, during a demonstration against the government of Nicolás Maduro in Caracas in 2017 (photo illustration).

© JUAN BARRETO / AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

4 min

Venezuelans vote on Sunday, November 21.

They elect their mayors, municipal councilors and regional governors.

For the first time in three years, the opposition is taking part in the polls, which will also be held under the watch of the European Union, since for the first time in fifteen years, the government of Venezuela has invited observers from the EU. .

The opposition presents itself in dispersed order, organizing itself as best they can against the PSUV.

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We heard all kinds of languages ​​during the deployment of election observers on Thursday.

They are French, German, Spanish and they have just been spread over the whole of Venezuelan territory.

But their presence is controversial, relates our special correspondent in Caracas, 

Alice Campaignolle

.

Some members of the opposition criticize Europe for legitimizing a dubious electoral process in this way.

For Beatrix Boonekamp, ​​coordinator of observers, this is not the case.

“ 

We do not legitimize the process.

Simply, it will be an objective analysis of what is observed by all observers during the process,

 ”she explains.

► Read also: In Venezuela, the economy in the process of informal “dollarization”

“Observe” is the word we repeat over and over here.

No intervention, no opinion;

just a look at the voting process and a report to be released on November 23.

But all eyes will also be on the observers themselves, as one of them, Jacub Dolezel explains: “ 

I think everyone will be watching us.

First, the people, Venezuelans, who I hope feel supported by the international community.

But also all the actors

: the political parties, all the personnel of the polling stations ... 

"

Many expectations around this electoral mission indeed.

Is it really a first step towards the pacification of Venezuelan political life, and towards an improvement of the democratic process?

Time will tell.

The great return of the opposition

By then, the campaign has ended.

On Wednesday, a caravan of motorcycles accompanied Tomás Guanipa, opposition candidate for mayor of Caracas and ally of the self-proclaimed president Juan Guaidó, who has meanwhile disappeared from the political landscape for months.

Tomás Guanipa is unlikely to win.

But he wants to bet on the fed up of citizens.

“ 

This election,

he said on Wednesday, 

concerns the poor quality of life of citizens, their environment, the destruction of Caracas and the deep rejection against Maduro.

 "

He is the candidate of a political coalition bringing together several currents of the opposition.

But in reality, unity is a long way off.

Main point of contention: whether or not to participate in these elections.

Since 2018, the Venezuelan opposition boycotted all the polls, considering that the conditions were not met to live free elections.

► To read again: In Venezuela, to fill up with gasoline, it takes a whole day

Some political figures, such as María Corina Machado, have still not changed their minds on participation.

In his eyes, “ 

this is not an electoral process 

”.

“ 

What matters,

” she said, “

is to whitewash the regime and there is no better way to legitimize it than this election.

 "

As the boycott strategy turned out to be useless, the opposition is indeed coming back.

From now on, one of the big issues will be abstention.

Because there are still many Venezuelans who do not want to return to vote.

Power in battle order

On the power side, to close the campaign of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), the main leaders of the ruling regime took the stage on Thursday in Petare, a popular district that was one of the strongholds of Chavismo.

They supported Héctor Rodríguez, the outgoing governor of the state of Miranda, in which Caracas is located.

Several hundred activists gathered in front of the stage.

The Venezuelan vice-president and even the son of President Maduro had made the trip, reports

Stefanie Schüler

and

Bertrand Haeckler

, also special envoys of RFI.

They talk about the Bolivarian revolution which remains, according to them, the only realistic vision for Venezuela.

But the voters of the PSUV, like all Venezuelans, are bearing the brunt of the economic crisis.

And they address concrete complaints to the socialist leaders.

► Read also: In Venezuela, a breathless health system

 The government must focus more on the needs of the population, on basic public services: water, electricity, food, education, health.

This is the minimum so that the country can get better,

 ”says an activist, all dressed in red.

The outgoing governor of Miranda State arrived on stage as a father, surrounded by his wife and their three children.

“ 

We have governed for years that have been extremely difficult because of the sanctions and in the midst of the pandemic.

But the Chavista people have been able to stand up to the storm and face the problems,

 ”he pleaded. 

Héctor Rodríguez promises that under his possible next term, Venezuelans "will 

regain the quality of life they had at the time of Hugo Chávez 

".

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