The Devil's Excrement

A little bit arrogance of Smartmatic President Mugica to “offer’ the democratic Coordinator the possibility of auditing the real ballots with the results of the machines. This is what the CD requested of the CNE early last week and never even received a reply. How can Mr. Mugica offer something that the CNE said would not happen?

Mr. Mugica said in his letter to Enrique Mendoza:

“We will audit as soon as possible the contents and results of a certain number of voting machines with their ballot boxes, chosen specifically by the CD at its best criteria”

Can he deliver? How come he can deliver more than the Carter Center and the OAS? Is he more powerful than the CNE? Why now, not last week? Or should I follow that Spanish proverb: “Piensa mal y acertaras” (Be suspicious and you will be right)

A little bit arrogance of Smartmatic President Mugica to “offer’ the democratic Coordinator the possibility of auditing the real ballots with the results of the machines. This is what the CD requested of the CNE early last week and never even received a reply. How can Mr. Mugica offer something that the CNE said would not happen?

Mr. Mugica said in his letter to Enrique Mendoza:

“We will audit as soon as possible the contents and results of a certain number of voting machines with their ballot boxes, chosen specifically by the CD at its best criteria”

Can he deliver? How come he can deliver more than the Carter Center and the OAS? Is he more powerful than the CNE? Why now, not last week? Or should I follow that Spanish proverb: “Piensa mal y acertaras” (Be suspicious and you will be right)

In the last four years a new phenomenon has appeared in Venezuela with the appearance of extermination groups composed of “Para police”. Between the year 2000 and 2001 more than 402 people were killed by members of the police according to the People’s Ombudsman. These groups attack poor young men with the apparent goal of achieving “social cleansing”. Most of these men have been in jail and they are blackmailed and then killed when they can’t pay. These cases are so blatant, that the squads have gone as far as publishing the names of the possible victims. Remarkably, in some cities these squads found support on the part of the citizens who believe this is a way of reducing crime and who obviously have no understanding of what democracy and the rule of law are.

Nowhere has this been worse than in Portuguesa state where the brother of on of those killed has been threatened with assassination to the point that the Interamerican Commission on Human Rights had to issue a precautionary measure ordering the government to protect him.

These trials are not easy. Witnesses are in remote areas and the Attorney General and the People’s Ombudsman have not acted in coordinated fashion. There and a half years ago, fourteen cops were detained and charged with being part for the Portuguesa Para police extermination group. Last week they were freed legally, because too long a period had gone without a trial. They will now be tried without being jailed.

There are two main concerns with this case. One, the families of the victims is being threatened if they testify. Two, the Government ahs not provided them with the protection requested by the OAS. Local Human Rights groups led by COFAVIC had requested that the Government protect the family members before releasing them. Even the Attorney General’s office opposes the measure issued by a Caracas judge and will appeal the decision.