Development: On 12 May Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro appealed to all generations of Venezuelans to “unite as a single family” and vote in favour of his re-election this weekend.
Significance: Maduro has set the target not just of winning the 20 May presidential election but also eviscerating his opponents by claiming a record 10m votes. The manner in which he has set about trying to secure these votes provides a good example of why these elections have been condemned by much of the region, and the wider international community, as illegitimate.
- Speaking at a campaign rally in the western state of Apure, Maduro appealed to supporters not to “fail” him and leave him “alone” on 20 May. Maduro has turned on its head the idea of a ‘punishment vote’, which his government might reasonably expect given Venezuela’s economic meltdown and social crisis. Instead, Venezuelans who fail to vote for him have been indirectly threatened with punishment. Maduro said that voters will receive a reward on the ‘Carnet de la Patria’, the identity card needed to receive food parcels, pensions, and bonuses, if they cast their ballots, with the strong suggestion that those not voting for him would not receive this inducement.
- Opposition figurehead María Corina Machado campaigned in the eastern state of Monagas at the weekend in favour of peaceful protests after the election to force Maduro’s resignation. Machado is on the more radical fringe of the divided opposition Mesa de la Unidad Democrática (MUD) coalition, which is pushing for voters to boycott the election.
- Henri Falcón, who broke ranks with the MUD to register his presidential candidacy, has accused it of advocating “collective suicide”. Falcón celebrated Mother’s Day on 13 May with his family, sending out some tweets in support of Venezuelan mothers for their great sacrifice.
- The evangelical priest Javier Bertucci held a lunch-cum-rally in Caracas in honour of Venezuelan mothers “who are suffering the worst crisis the country has ever seen”. Bertucci called upon Falcón to step aside and back his presidential candidacy, arguing that the electorate would not vote for an opposition candidate but “a candidate coming from outside of politics”.
Looking Ahead: Official electoral campaigning will come to a close on 17 May.
