Will Venezuela become a new Cuba? Despite recent events, dont count on it
In the aftermath of Venezuelas fraudulent Oct. 15 regional elections, the conventional wisdom is that President Nicolás Maduro has closed all avenues to an electoral solution to the countrys crisis, and that Venezuela will become a new Cuba. It may happen, but there are a few things that suggest otherwise.
There are many similarities. Maduro is increasingly acting like an all-out dictator, a la Fidel Castro. Maduros most recent elections for 23 governorships were so fraudulent that they were denounced by the United States, the 28-member European Union, and Latin Americas biggest countries, including Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.
It sounds like a joke, but Maduro claims to have won 80 percent of the governorships in a clean election, despite the fact that virtually all polls show that 80 percent of Venezuelans want him to leave office.
In addition to using massive government resources to help his candidates, allowing widespread media censorship and refusing to allow credible international observers, Maduro invalidated more than 1 million opposition votes by preventing people in opposition strongholds from casting their ballots.
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