Venezuela's Continuing Struggle

Today is Venezuela's recall election, and serious shenanigans have already surfaced. Excellent independent journalist Justin Podur, who is blogging from Venezuela, writes:

A fake tape recording of the president of the National Electoral Council, Francisco Carrasquero, was discovered. On it, a voice impersonating Carrasquero's announced that the SI forces [voting yes to recall President Hugo Chavez] got 11,436,086 votes and that thus Chavez was revoked. The real Carrasquero said at a press conference that they are doing an "exhaustive investigation" of this "serious electoral crime."

Ugh. But there is some moderately good news, too. From Venezuelanalysis.com, another great website:

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States and former President Jimmy Carter of the Carter Center also reported that in their meeting with the opposition coalition Democratic Coordinator (CD), that the CD agreed not to publicize its results, presumably on the basis of exit polls, prior to the electoral council's (CNE) announcement of the referendum's result. However, the CD reserved the right to publicize its results should the CNE delay announcing its results "unduly, such as by more than three days."

Independent observers had been worried that the CD would release its own unofficial results before polls closed, exaggerating their support, as a way to challenge the official final tally as "manipulated" should they wind up losing.

A bit more Venezuela news of particular interest to Women for Peace:

In 1999, the year following Chavez's election, "four months of continuous lobbying got women the constitution they wanted. Among its anti-sexist, anti-racist provisions, it recognizes women's unwaged caring work as economically productive, entitling housewives to social security. ... In a country where 65% of households are headed by women, it is they who are the majority in government education and health campaigns: who are users as well as those who nurse, train and educate. Again, women are the majority in the land, water and health committees which sort out how the millions of people who built homes on squatted land can be given ownership, how water supplies are to be improved, and what health care is needed."

Go, companeras!

I probably don't need to remind you, but the U.S. government, through the Orwellianly-named National Endowment for Democracy (and likely other channels), supported the brief April 2002 coup against Chavez and continues to fund anti-government groups in Venezuela - including SUMATE, the group that instigated today's recall.

Keep an eye on the situation. And, just for kicks, imagine what the U.S. response would be if the tables were turned.

Diane