“You come here and solve this problem!” This is not the expletive of the leader of a gang of robbers directed at someone who has failed to comply with an order, is it? The truth is Venezuela, at least a part, listened to Nicolas Maduro shout that way to the president of Petróleos de Venezuela Pedro Tellechea. They would say in my town: they went crazy.
You have to understand that Maduro is not doing well. Being more than 30 points below Edmundo González Urrutia with less than 40 days left until the presidential elections must make him nervous and very bad tempered.
In any case, the scene reminded me of many conversations I have had with those who have held high positions, civil and military, in the regime by Nicolás Maduro. All without exception agree in pointing out that he never called a meeting of the Council of Ministers, there were no points of account and the command procedure in Miraflores was more similar to that of a mafia boss. No one kissed his ring, but there were many genuflexes.
The matter comes to place because the spirit with which he has addressed the president of PDVSA more or less translates to how he assumes his possible defeat. That is, he does not assume it. Maduro, according to what those who know him also say, never backs down, and the possibility of negotiating his exit is not one of his favorite plans.
In this regard, there are signs in the last few hours that show that Maduro is considering committing fraud in various ways. We have already seen something. For example, last-minute changes in board members and illegal arrests of 37 members of the Vente Venezuela team. The objective is to weaken the operational capacity that appears indisputably efficient on the opposition side. The regime tries to penetrate the information on telephone numbers, addresses, names of people responsible for summoning the voter, in short, the very advanced organization that has been formed to guarantee the exercise of the vote, but especially the surveillance and care of the vote until the end of the process.
Additionally, and as is the custom of this dictatorship, among these 37 activists prosecuted in less than six months, they try to obtain, through torture, some testimony that incriminates María Corina Machado, undisputed leader of the Venezuelan opposition.
Until recently, in Miraflores they were still convinced that they could reverse the defeat, but not anymore. That is why efforts are focused on lying with many resources, spreading a false triumphant optimism on networks, and trying to overshadow the undeniable feeling that has taken over the country for the recovery of democracy.
Obviously, the regime is not standing idly by. Difficult times are still expected where the dictatorship will not spare resources that hinder the opposition’s advance and complicate the decision to vote. For this they have implemented different procedures. The most recent was last weekend when the National Electoral Council made new changes in the voting centers and in more than 100 thousand polling station members. Or the most recent: disqualify mayors who support Edmundo González.
This change is only one part that is complemented by dark actions such as continuing harassment, persecution and arrests, all directed towards the dangerous scenario of repression that, according to signs, will be supported by torturers who are dangerously planned to be given the power to control. fire.
The repression network will continue to use the Prosecutor’s Office and the courts that are currently under the control of Diosdado Cabello, who keeps announcing that the 80 percent of the country that wants them out of the government is going to claim fraud. Diosdado is one of those characters who knows he is lost and who does not have the courage to fight to defend the regime (he can flee disguised as a nurse), but who is an expert in commanding others. So in principle it is he who tries to organize violent groups – that includes firepower – and to order those who hinder him or whose absence could weaken the democratic struggle to be imprisoned and taken to court.
The logical question is, what about the National Armed Forces? And Vladimir Padrino López? Fine, thanks.
The institutional dismantling of a dictatorship becomes evident in these circumstances. What these groups do is take care of their businesses.
So the rest of the country, the democratic majority, does its thing. To vote, to continue organizing, to take care of the vote, which no one can against 80 percent of a country determined to recover democracy.
