By Arturo Valencia, Caracas/Venezuela, exclusively for the Western Standard.The early hours of Friday saw the deployment of electoral voting apparatus throughout the South American dictatorship of Venezuela, in preparation for what is sure to be a volatile voting Sunday. The social network X (formerly Twitter) is littered with complaints about irregularities and abuses regarding the installation process of the electoral voting machines. Military personnel, and supporters of the Nicolás Maduro government have prohibited entry and attacked members of tables and witnesses.Among the primary complaints is that polling stations were quickly installed in the early hours of Friday morning, not allowing for polling station representatives assigned by the National Electoral Council (CNE), to be present; an intentional, and direct violation of the established protocol and Venezuelan voting laws.“Today, the electoral law was violated at this center, where the coordinator of the electoral center has retained our credentials, those of the witnesses and members of the table who are from the CNE (…) this is electoral abuse,” denounced one of those affected, who urged the authorities to provide a solution.In Venezuela, the law mandates that all members of the electoral board must be present for the voting process to be valid. But who exactly are these members?Article 134 of the National Constitution of Venezuela states; serving as a member of the electoral board is considered a civic duty and an obligatory public function. These board members are ordinary citizens who are randomly selected by the National Electoral Council (CNE) system. Once selected, they are required to serve as support officials during the electoral process. These citizens must undergo training to understand their responsibilities, which include safeguarding, installing, and adhering to all established procedures to ensure the voting process is conducted correctly. Their role is crucial in maintaining the integrity and legality of the electoral process, and locals are claiming that the integrity of voting stations has already been compromised, just days before the official Sunday vote.Noted Venezuela economist and political figure, Andres Caleca noted multiple election violations on X, “Violations of all kinds throughout the country in the process of installing polling stations: — overstepping the boundaries of the Plan República and the Center Coordinators — installation without polling station members or witnesses - installation before 8:00 a.m… gentlemen of the CNE and the Plan República, stop playing with fire!” As Venezuela approaches its crucial voting day, the nation's political climate grows ever more fraught with tension and uncertainty. The allegations of electoral misconduct have only intensified the already volatile atmosphere, casting a shadow over the legitimacy of the upcoming elections. With the integrity of the voting process under severe scrutiny, the world watches closely, hoping for a peaceful resolution but bracing for potential chaos and unrest. The actions taken by the authorities in the coming days will be critical in determining the future trajectory of Venezuela. As Venezuelans prepare to cast their ballots, the stakes have never been higher, and the demand for transparency and fairness remains paramount.The world is watching.Arturo Valencia is freelance journalist based in Venezuela. The name is an alias to protect their safety. Valencia will be filing exclusive reporters for the Western Standard,
