OPINION: Against all odds: Venezuelans vote in July 28 elections

Last Updated on Saturday, 27 July 2024, 19:03 by Writer

by United States-based Venezuelan Political Scientist, Alexandra Panzarelli

During my many years as a Venezuelan ex-pat, I’ve delved into the remarkable connection between an authoritarian and populist leader–Hugo Chávez, and his people following his 1992 coup attempt. How can one explain such devotion to a leader whose violence and corruption ravaged a country, triggered an unprecedented migratory crisis, and plundered the nation’s future? For a long time, I believed all hope was lost. There was no way to rid the country of this gripping dictatorship let alone unearth a new hero in a nation so understandably disillusioned and distrustful of its leaders.

I observed the emergence of María Corina Machado’s leadership with much skepticism, never imagining she would be capable of rallying such an extraordinary movement.

Today, just hours before this crucial moment in history, I’m experiencing many emotions as I think of my relatives and loved ones caught up in this struggle. I can’t help but reflect on the significant achievements of Machado and González Urrutia. They have taken hearts broken by hunger and violence and forged the unthinkable: the promise of hope for Venezuela’s future. Against all odds, a new movement has taken hold–one that, despite ideological differences and social disparities, has united millions of Venezuelans. Their aim is to escape decades of degradation and to move forward and rebuild with the promise of freedom and equality. From afar, the most notable aspect of this movement is the fraternity it has sparked. Political differences among the opposition (a notably diverse coalition encompassing a broad ideological spectrum) have been set aside in support of the González-Urrutia candidacy. The Venezuelan diaspora, reflecting that same diversity, appears equally engaged and uplifted. This renewed sense of unity and pride is simply unprecedented. I share in it with great reverence, having been part of the opposition since the onset of ‘Chavismo.’

This promise of new leadership, brought forth by a courageous woman and against all odds, offers hope to many Venezuelans seeking reunions with their loved ones. Nearly eight million of us are refugees scattered worldwide — grandparents, parents, and children waiting for the day we might return to our homeland. It has been a grueling decade during which many Venezuelans have faced the horrors of forced migration, murder, rape, and global marginalization as second-class citizens.

Now, we awaken with the hope of returning to the land where our parents and grandparents once thrived. We are part of a movement–unified, mobilized, and eager for change. This time, the promise is not based in hollow caudillismo; rather, it is coming from the vision of a civil society committed to rebuilding this scarred land and emerging from the long nightmare of outdated communism.

Who knows what this Sunday will bring? We either succeed and go forward or we face the unthinkable: an even more repressive regime. Regardless, it’s clear that this new movement is only in its inception. The country has awakened to the possibility of real reform, inspired and led by a woman who did not falter when so many before her did. Against all odds, this Sunday will mark the beginning of a new promise for Venezuela, the result of a yearning decades in the making. For the millions of Venezuelans like me who cannot vote, there will be massive mobilizations. Despite the distance, our hearts remain with the country that has given us so much over the years. The time to return and rebuild is finally within our sights.

Lastly, the skepticism I once felt toward Machado and this movement was not shared by those who believe in the power of the people — those who have learned from Václav Havel, Nelson Mandela, and the victims of Chilean dictatorship who once cast their votes with the hope of leaving despotism behind. Beyond this Sunday’s election, there lies an invaluable lesson to be learned in Caracas.

Alexandra Panzarelli, a PhD candidate at The New School, teaches at Marymount Manhattan College and Yeshiva University, and writes on Venezuelan politics.