People Power Has Felled Dictators Before. It Could Happen Again in Venezuela

If your attention is on the U.S. presidential campaign or the Paris Olympics, you’re probably missing one of the most significant political dramas in the world right now. After years of oppressive authoritarianism and in the face of overwhelming obstacles, the Venezuelan people turned out in historic numbers this week to turf out their historically bad leaders.

Venezuelans resoundingly voted on July 28 to reject longtime President Nicolás Maduro and the failed and impoverished socialist project that Maduro inherited from his predecessor, the late socialist-populist Hugo Chávez. The people voted instead for the more hopeful vision of economic transformation and social revitalization espoused by Edmundo González Urrutia, a little-known former diplomat who joined the race belatedly when a popular opposition leader was banned from running.

So far, the Maduro regime is refusing to accept the results. Despite numerous polls anticipating a landslide victory for González and independent exit polls that showed him winning, the regime loyalists who control the National Electoral Council declared Maduro the victor. They have refused to release official vote totals despite the legal requirement to do so, and have ignored calls for transparency from the Organization of American States, the United States and other nations.

The Venezuelan opposition collected and released records from its own poll watchers at more than 80% of precincts, which indicate their overwhelming victory. Protests erupted against Maduro’s attempts to falsify the results – and the regime has responded with force. The fight for democracy is now moving from the voting booth to the streets, where at least 17 protesters have been killed in clashes with authorities that began the day after the vote. Injuries are approaching 100, and more than 1,000 individuals have been detained, according to official figures...

Read the full article.