Between October 7 and November 6, I witnessed two Presidential elections. The first was in the country of Venezuela. I was there to witness a vote for democracy vs a vote for tyranny. Tyranny won the day! Again President Hugo Chavez won the popular vote and remains in power now fourteen years and counting!
Site of a voting place in la Florida, Caracas. This was the scene of an area dominated by the opposition. All voting was held calmly and expectations for the beginning of a new Venezuelan era were high.
The experience was fascinating from its inception. For starters, in preparing for Election Day, the entire country bathed itself in modes of behavior dictated by authorities. Dry Law (no alcoholic sales) went into effect for three days. On Election Day, no one could wear anything that revealed a party. No Venezuelan flags on clothing, no candidates glaring from T-shirts, nothing that could provoke the other side. The other side, meaning any side, different than the one you were on. Wake up time would begin at three in the morning with a loud military reveille floating through the sleeping valley. Again at three thirty and a third at four. Then the voice of Hugo Chavez came blaringthrough everyone’s dreams or nightmares, again it depended what side you were on, calling out through a recorded loudspeaker on military vehicles that roamed every crevice of the city. “Come, come with me, cast your vote and stay free.” From three o’clock in the morning, when the first reveille blared out along came the explosions of huge fireworks. Boom, boom, boom, like cannon sounds, the celebration of intimidation was on. Who would vote? Who would dare not to?
I had a stranger snap a quick one for me as I stood in front of a voting station. The signs behind me designated voters to a specific voting table. In the picture you can see my sleeves nicely rolled up as I had been stopped by a National Guardsman, and curtly had been told to roll them. You see, I had a small Venezuelan flag on that sleeve (of course at that point I didn’t realize that I couldn’t wear it) and was a danger to the process. (I never was quite sure, if it was the process that was in danger or me.)
The turnout would be historic and at the end of the day the plunderer would have his diamond.
I feel strongly about the situation of Venezuela as I truly love that country. You have to know it, to love it. I have seen with my own eyes its transformation from what it was, to what it has become. It proves that it really is unhealthy when a country is incapable of changing its leaders. When Hugo Chavez, during the height of his popularity, held a referendum proposing to eliminate presidential term limits, he knew what he was doing. However, history tells us that for a nation to have someone ensconced forever in the throne of power, nurtures avarice and the bearer becomes twisted by the ability to control. At the same time, the hopes and dreams of others that wish to lead their nation are shattered by disallowing them the opportunity. All around, it’s a bad business. I wish freedom for Venezuela and every country that has a leader that, after having the privilege of governing a country, won’t step aside.
The National Guard was out in force but my stubborn streak wouldn’t allow me to just give in to the order of having my sleeves rolled up. Timidly, I pulled at my sleeve a bit and showed my flag filled sleeve!
{ 0 comments… add one now }