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Venezuela's Third Fight for Freedom
Independence in 1811, overthrowing Perez Jimenez in 1958, and now the Maduro regime? Clearly, the price of freedom is eternal vigilance.
As someone deeply immersed in Florida’s election security fight, I occasionally receive a “thank you for what you do.” Reflecting on recent events, I’ve come to realize that my advocacy doesn’t stem from being American, but because I am Venezuelan. The civic lessons ingrained in me during middle school while growing up there are what truly fuel my activism.
The story of Venezuela holds the origins of the election fraud that has been used to subvert the democratic process in many countries, including the United States. After 25 years and seven presidential elections, Venezuela's saga is one of dashed hopes, mass exodus, and unparalleled civic duty. Perhaps, this time around, there is a beacon of hope—and always, a lesson for America.
If you’re coming across this for the first time, here’s a link to some prior material to provide context: Why We Left Venezuela.
The Venezuela of my childhood was a thriving country. Our civic tradition proudly stemmed from being the birth place of Latin American independence from Spain, overthrowing a dictatorship in 1958 and becoming one of the first democracies in South America. Civics was taught in 8th grade, and we were a people who took the privilege of voting very seriously. Even today, Venezuelans living abroad often travel back just to cast their vote on election day.
Historically, Venezuela was a more integrated society than many other South American countries. A mix of native indigenous people, colonized by Spaniards who brought African slaves to work the plantations, we learned the racial classifications of creoles, mestizos, mulattos, zambos, and other mixes as children, but it was just history. In fact, Venezuela's war of independence, which also liberated other Latin American countries, was fought by the creoles (whites of direct Spanish ancestry) alongside mulattoes and slaves.
Oil, and the wealth derived from it, was the tide that lifted all people, including the European immigrants who arrived in Venezuela after WWII, adding to the country’s diversity and economic engine. Any nascent racial tensions were mitigated or held at bay because prosperity kept everyone relatively content—or perhaps because, in general, Venezuelans are fun, boisterous, and life-loving people, until it was no longer possible.
About 25 years ago, Hugo Chávez rightfully won his election, but immediately, with advice from Cuban and other left-leaning councils, he began to consolidate his power. He changed the Constitution, stacked the Supreme Court, and ensured his permanency by following the communist playbook. What was once a cohesive society became sharply divided along socioeconomic classes, gender, religion, culture, race, and ideology. Under Chávez and later Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s wealth began to dissipate due to gross mismanagement of the petroleum industry, nepotism, despotism, and the nationalization of private companies.
A once-prosperous nation was destroyed, its population mired in poverty, and its people dispersed to all corners of the globe. However, in the past few months, what is emerging from Venezuela is incredibly unique. It provides a glimmer of hope and stands as a cautionary tale for the world. In repudiating the circumstances that led one-fourth of Venezuelans to leave their motherland and families, a paradigm shift has taken place, led by María Corina Machado, who has emerged over the past decade as the opposition leader to the Maduro regime.
The movement recognized that despite the concerted divisive agenda, society could coalesce around commonly shared values: human dignity, justice and equality under the law, the right to be free and own property, and, of course, family. These universal aspirations are capable of birthing an autonomous society, making its lawmakers servants rather than serving themselves. Thus, the opposition laid out a Six-Stage plan to reclaim Venezuela.
Stage 1: A return to national unity to reclaim and inspire enthusiasm among the population with the intention to mobilize an apathetic Venezuelan society. After 25 years of Chavismo, the challenge to inspire a demoralized and depressed population was almost insurmountable. For two years, María Corina and her team traversed Venezuela back and forth. From rural to urban, from poverty to the middle class (who were the most skeptical segment), they traveled to inspire and unify the country. This was arduous work that paid off when the people united, permitting the next step:
Stage 2: Perform citizen primaries without the intervention of the Supreme Electoral Council (CSE). The established government did all it could to oppose this action, suggesting that only a small segment of the population would show up. Instead, María Corina was elected with 3 million votes, obtaining a clear populist mandate, which advanced her to the next stage.
Stage 3: Convene a Presidential Election. Maduro’s government invalidated María Corina, her designated substitute was also invalidated, and finally, Edmundo Gonzalez, a candidate with exceptional qualities, was able to prevail amidst extreme censorship. The regime used various tactics against the opposition, including closing roads, shutting down hotels where they were staying, withholding funds, and issuing threats. They even persecuted anyone who offered assistance, like an impoverished indigenous man who offered his canoe to cross a river when roads were closed. His outboard motor was impounded, and he later had to flee the country.
Stage 4: Demonstrate the Win. On July 28th, 2024, Venezuela held its presidential elections, and the world recognized Edmundo Gonzalez as the victor, winning 70% of the votes. In all previous elections, the hopeful populace was quickly deflated as the leader of the electoral council announced: “There is an irreversible tendency,” which translated to: Maduro remains.
Understanding that the process was neither free nor fair and knowing that the regime would do everything in its power to subvert the elections, María Corina and her team spent over a year preparing. They worked to understand the logistics and information infrastructure, overcoming the difficulties presented by a country where phone lines, internet, and even electricity were unavailable in some areas. Drawing from their experience of 30 elections with different levels of fraud, they knew this one would be the worst. Their efforts were a labor of patriotism, with Venezuelans both within and outside the country collaborating on this seminal project.
The result was the creation of:
Platform 600K: Encompassing nearly 16,000 voting centers with 30,000 tables.
Command Centers: More than 1 million volunteers, each with a specific role during the elections, ranging from welcoming voters to maintaining constant vigilance at the voting centers. Through an app, they monitored everything happening and also devised plans for the 30% of locations without phone or internet, overcoming formidable obstacles.
Venezuela has one day of voting, which was on Sunday, July 28th. At 6:00 pm, the voting centers closed, and the official results (Acts) were printed by the tabulators. The Acts had a QR code that led to the relevant data, and citizens made heroic efforts to bring this information to a central location where the tallies could be scanned. This data was uploaded to a website so everyone could access near real time information. Procuring the Acts was the work of the courageous. In some cases, those who delivered them had to guard these printouts with their lives. The Armed Forces participated to ensure peace and order, and some officials from the CSE also collaborated, disobeying orders from the regime.
On Monday, 24 hours later, María Corina conducted a press conference and was able to confirm that Edmundo Gonzalez’s margin of victory could not be surpassed by any remaining favorable Maduro votes. The ability to collect the tabulator results and demonstrate the data to voters and the whole world was the product of arduous work, tenacity, and the determination of a populace that came together to defeat the tyranny that decimated their country in one generation. Not surprisingly, Maduro proclaimed victory without a single shred of proof, responding to the opposition’s results by enacting the most cruel wave of repression in Venezuela’s history.
Stage 5: Maduro’s regime must accept the results and negotiate its transition. This is where it gets dicey because the regime is resisting. Popular manifestations, protests, and other means of expression are occurring despite a brutal response from Maduro's forces, including 2,300 detentions, forced disappearances, kidnappings, torture, homes marked with Xs, absence of private defense, cell phones being confiscated, and opposition messages leading to imprisonment. Hundreds of civic leaders are now in hiding. Facing a resounding defeat, the Maduro regime’s only option is to stifle the opposition.
Nonetheless, for the first time in 25 years since Chávez and the socio-communist regime took hold, the opposition has the receipts of the election, and everyone—citizens, the military, and the international community—knows that Nicolás Maduro lost.
If the Venezuelan conflict is not resolved quickly, there will be severe consequences for the Western Hemisphere. First and foremost, the Venezuelan migration crisis surpasses any other global situation, including Ukraine and Syria. Venezuela has become a hub for nefarious activities such as drug and human trafficking and an operations base for Russia, Cuba, and Syria, with 3 to 5 million Venezuelans having left the country.
As the world watches, Venezuela's struggle serves as a powerful reminder of the fragility of freedom and the relentless fight for justice. The determination of its people, despite overwhelming odds and brutal repression, is a lesson in courage and patriotism. As of this moment, I am unable to report anything further. Thus, I invite you to pray for the country of my childhood, which in a very palpable way, shaped my advocacy here in the United States.
“The freedom of the New World is the only hope of mankind. It is a sacred duty to achieve this freedom and a noble cause to fight for it."
Simón Bolívar, known as "El Libertador," was a key figure in the Latin American wars of independence and his thoughts on freedom and liberty remain influential.
Heavenly Father:
We come before You with heavy hearts, lifting up the people of Venezuela who are enduring immense hardship and oppression. Grant them strength and courage as they confront tyranny and seek justice. May their voices be heard and their dreams of freedom realized. Surround them with Your protection and bless their efforts to reclaim their nation from the shadows of repression.
Lord, inspire the international community to stand in solidarity with Venezuela, offering support and advocacy in their quest for democracy. Let the light of hope shine through their struggle, and may their perseverance lead to lasting change.
We trust in Your divine justice and mercy, believing that Your grace can turn the tide of despair into a beacon of hope. May we all be moved to act with compassion and dedication in our own spheres of influence, supporting the cause of human dignity and freedom for all.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen.
Dedico este escrito a Mayda Sardiña, profe de Estudios Cívicos: Colegio El Angel, Promoción de 1985 en Valencia, Venezuela. Gloria al Bravo Pueblo!
Here is a video of the Miami, Florida rally on August 16:
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Viva Cristo Rey! Prayers and tears. 🙏❤️
Thank you for sharing your insights and information with us! This is great information that is not readily available to most people and is needed to be shared. I for one will do my part to pass this along. I remember hearing you speak at the CDF meeting in Plant City, Fl and telling your story of how you had to leave Venezuela. How the things that happen in Venezuela are forming here in America. my hope and prayer is that this election does not turn out to be like the one that Hugo Chavez won. I can see how the Democratic Party, the legacy media with their propaganda agenda, the DOJ and IRS could influence and control our elections (as if they are not already doing some of that now) As you accurately, articulated what happened in Venezuela,
I believe that we may-be on the cusp of that same outcome here in America, if the American people don’t wake up.
May we, the Believing remnant of the body of Messiah, repent for our apathy for allowing what God had entrusted to our care to slip through our fingers, by not voicing and acting on, what we knew in our hearts was wrong. By allowing abortion to go on challenged for so long. For not holding our elected officials accountable, for their actions and lack of action. And for or allowing the manipulation of our young children’s hearts and minds, so that they want to mutilate their bodies, destroy the image that they were created in and leaving them in a hopeless sense of despair.
LORD please forgive us of our sins and send Your Holy Spirit to bring conviction of sin and repentance to America once again, in Jesus Name, amen