‘Our Democracy’ Is on Display in Venezuela – The American Spectator | USA News and

Maybe it’s a little early to comment on what looks like a fake election in Venezuela. After all, upon this writing it’s not quite 24 hours since that country’s elections bureau claimed its communist dictator Nicolás Maduro has won with some 51.2 percent of the vote — a result which flies in the face of exit polling showing Maduro’s chief opponent Edmundo González ahead by more than 30 points.

On the other hand, maybe it isn’t early at all.

It was fairly readily apparent that the Maduro regime in Venezuela was not going to allow itself to be turned out of power. That party has been running sham elections for the bulk, if not the entirety, of this century as it has destroyed the rule of law, turned itself into a massive exporter of people (some eight million émigrés out of a population which used to be around 29 million) and crated its economy to the tune of an 80 percent reduction in GDP.

If Venezuelan elections were real, Nicolás Maduro would have long ago been turned out of power. His predecessor and the architect of the Venezuelan verson of “Our Democracy,” Hugo Chávez, would have been bounced from office before his death.

Chávez died richer than Mitt Romney, you know. So did Fidel Castro. No word yet on whether Nancy Pelosi or Barack Obama will also fit that description.

So yes — they stole the Venezuelan election. That isn’t surprising. What’s surprising is that Maduro held an election at all.

González wasn’t supposed to be the opposition candidate. He only surfaced after two others, first the longtime opposition leader María Corina Machado and then Machado’s first chosen replacement Corina Yoris Villasana, were thrown off the ballot by the regime. And then when it became obvious he would win a free and fair election, the Venezuelan regime really got busy…

About 80% of ballot boxes have been counted, said national electoral council (CNE) president Elvis Amoroso in a televised statement, adding results had been delayed because of an “aggression” against the electoral data transmission system.

The CNE has asked the attorney general to investigate the “terrorist actions” Amoroso said, adding participation was 59%.

The CNE is meant to be an independent body, but the opposition alleges its acts as an arm of the government.

The top opposition official meant to witness the overall national count was not allowed to and there were several polling stations where opposition observers were not allowed to observe, the opposition said on Sunday night.

And…

Attorney General Tarek Saab told Reuters on Sunday evening that he did not anticipate any violence and that except for some isolated incidents voting had been peaceful.

Less than a block from Saab’s office in central Caracas, dozens of ruling party supporters arrived together on motorcycles outside Andres Bello secondary school, the country’s largest voting center, scuffling with opposition supporters gathered outside.

The crowd dispersed after about 20 minutes, but videos on social media showed similar incidents in other locations around the country.

The Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict said on X that armed groups of the motorcycle-riding ruling party supporters known as ‘collectives’ were reported in six states and Caracas.

One man died of a gunshot wound in the border state of Tachira after a collective attacked people outside a polling place, the Observatory said. Reuters could not independently verify the details of the incident.

“The Biden administration removed the sanctions on oil & mining in Venezuela … and Maduro said, ‘I promise you, that I’ll hold a free and fair election’ … And then he put all his opponents in jail. And the Biden Administration has done nothing.”#VenezuelaVOTA #BidensAmerica… https://t.co/OxR0abImWs pic.twitter.com/7Q2vov6O52

— Allison Dyer (@3rdGener) July 28, 2024

So…

• Big delays, with only perfunctory explanations, in counting votes;
• Open voter intimidation at polling places;
• Lawfare to knock opposition candidates off the ballot;
• Sketchy, unverified results predictably in favor of the ruling elite.

Here’s your least surprising quote coming out of the Venezuelan election…

“I am Nicolás Maduro Moros — the re-elected president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela … and I will defend our democracy, our law and our people.”

Of course. “Our Democracy.”

How often do you hear it expressed that way by our own ruling political elite? It’s always “Our Democracy,” and it means something much different than democracy.

As they’ve shown in Venezuela.

By the way, as Bonchie noted at RedState, the purveyors of “Our Democracy” do tend to stick together…

While this outcome was apparent to anyone with any common sense, Kamala Harris and Joe Biden had different ideas. While the press will no doubt bury the story, the current administration was at the center of this fraudulent election, having handed Maduro sanctions relief in exchange for “free and fair elections.”

Was it stupid policy to slack off on the sanctions against the Venezuelan regime? Of course. Was the stupid policy the result of incompetence? Why, no, actually.

They made it far more lucrative for Maduro to remain in office than to go away into retirement or exile after the true voice of the people could be heard. And then they’re going to act surprised when Maduro’s regime does whatever it takes to hang on to power?

Kamala Harris, now the chief avatar of “Our Democracy” in the United States, is shocked — shocked! — that the Venezuelan elections have made such a turn against the apparent will of the people there…

The United States stands with the people of Venezuela who expressed their voice in today’s historic presidential election. The will of the Venezuelan people must be respected. Despite the many challenges, we will continue to work toward a more democratic, prosperous, and secure…

— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) July 28, 2024

Among those congratulating Maduro on the occasion of his stolen electoral victory: Vladimir Putin, whom this administration continually demonizes for his aggressions against Ukraine. Interesting that Putin can park naval ships off Florida and engage in military cooperation with Cuba and Venezuela with no U.S. response, but we’ll spend hundreds of billions of dollars on a war in Putin’s back yard.

Venezuelans are the leading nationality of the illegal migrants showing up on our border, which is an indication of what “Our Democracy” can do.

There is nowhere for American refugees from our own version of “Our Democracy,” complete with its own censorship, corruption, election interference, economic malaise and breakdown in law and order, to go.

Here’s hoping our own election this fall is free and fair. And here’s hoping that “Our Democracy” remains a Venezuelan item not permanently embedded into American life.

(Get your copy of Scott’s latest novel King of the Jungle, which revolves around an aggressive Venezuelan regime invading its neighbor Guyana, at Amazon today.)