supposedly 'rigged elections' here in the US, I invite them to take a little trip to see what the term 'rigged elections' actually stands for:
WORLD NEWS | Thu Oct 20, 2016 | 10:31pm EDT
Venezuela electoral body suspends referendum drive, opposition fumes
By Corina Pons and Alexandra Ulmer | CARACAS
Venezuela's electoral authority on Thursday suspended the next phase of a recall referendum against unpopular President Nicolas Maduro, sparking outcry from the opposition who accused the Socialist government of dictatorial tactics.
The oil-rich country is mired in a brutal economic crisis that has families skipping meals amid food shortages and triple-digit inflation. Maduro, a former bus driver and union leader elected three years ago to replace late leader Hugo Chavez, has seen his popularity tumble in hand with the recession.
His foes had vowed to push for a recall referendum against him this year, which, if successful would have triggered fresh presidential elections that polls show Maduro would lose.
The election board had already said there would be no such vote this year, and appeared to put the final nail in the coffin on Thursday night.
Citing court orders, the electoral body said in a statement it was suspending next week's signature drive to collect around 4 million signatures and trigger the vote.
The Venezuelan populace has not only had to suffer all the economic ravages 15+ years of Chavismo have wrought to a nation that before Chavez was admired by almost all of Latin America. Today, all the things that made Venezuela the envy of other countries have disappeared, leaving behind not only a wasteland of horrible crime but also of terrible scarcities of the absolutely basic necessities of life. In Venezuela it is not at all hyperbole to talk about people starving to death. A Caracas homeowner recently made the news because he must stay awake at night to guard is mango tree. Mangoes are now often the only thing left to eat.
The people, as might be expected, have decided they have had enough of the grand 'Bolivarian experiment' in which government officials and allies became multimillionaires many times over but where the poor needed to queue for hours to get a bag of rice. The Venezuelan constitution clearly provides for a recall election if the required number of signatures are obtained to put the question to the people. The opposition forces have obtained the required number of signatures. But now the government has decided that the vote should not be held. That way, if they can delay the issue until 2017 instead of the present leader (Maduro) being recalled he will merely be replaced by his Vice-President for the remainder of his term.
Now, dear Rethugs, THAT is what 'rigged election' means.
|
