Nicolas Maduro is Deceiving the World while he Steals the Parliamentary Elections

In his quest to stay in power Nicolas Maduro has done everything, from repressing dissidents, incarcerating opposition leaders and student protesters, to even standing in front of the United Nations announcing possible violent acts from the Opposition “to alter the Parliamentary elections.”  

He has vowed to demonstrate his “vocation for a democratic and peaceful elections”, while in practice to Human Right Watch, uses the judicial system as a tool to penalize the Opposition. A case in point is the one of Political leader Leopoldo Lopez who was sentenced to 14 years in prison for leading peaceful protests against the regime. Seventy-eight others have also paid a huge price for protesting the regime, with torture and jail time.

Nicolas Maduro and his oppressive government, in another  move to maintain complete control of the electoral process, has prematurely retired 13 Supreme Court judges. The reason for this blatant disregard for the Venezuelan Democratic process is so he can replace those judges with those in favor of the regime and without the intervention of the Opposition. Maduro did the same a year ago, when 14 judges were replaced before of their scheduled retirement.

of their retirement.   At that time these judges were appointed bypassing any input from the opposition.

Maduro has also paralyzed the Opposition by banning them from running for parliamentary elections.  To top it all, Maduro has rejected foreign observers as was proposed by the the OAS, to observe the December electoral process in Venezuela. I will continue asking the same question:  Can a country where there is no transparency and the institutions of government are sequestered, have fair elections this December 6, 2015?

Leopoldo Lopez forced to go to trial in Venezuela

Las week Political prisoner Leopoldo Lopez was forced to go to a trial in Venezuela, a country where there is not justice or transparency. His wife Lilian Tintoti has expressed  strong concern about Leopoldo’s health condition.

Last February  Venezuelan political leader Leopoldo Lopez was a victim of an  illegal court procedure behind closed doors. This action not only violated the rights of Leopoldo to have a fair trial, but also violated the Venezuelan Constitution. 

Maduro's cowardliness started with the unjustified arrest of  Leopoldo Lopez,  The regime has kept Lopez  in prison for more than a year, falsely accused of steering violent protests against the Maduro regime.  Angry protests erupted after the senseless murder of the actress and model Monica Spear and her husband. Spear's murder, followed  by a rape attempt to a female University student, further infuriated students who took to the streets to protest the enormous insecurity problems that face the country.

The protests grew across the country, leaving over 50 students dead and  hundreds incarcerated.  In support of the students,  Leopoldo Lopez called for peaceful protests. This prompted the Maduro regime to exercise its dictatorship role, arresting Leopoldo Lopez in February. A year later,  Leopoldo Lopez remains Maduro's prisoner.

Meanwhile, other political leaders like City of Tachira's Major Daniel  Ceballos  who is currently in critical conditions, in a Los Teques prison, and Caracas' Major, Antonio Ledezma were imprisoned by Maduro under false accusations. Student protestors remain victims of this government, many in prison and suffering abuses and tortures.

The bravery of our young student protesters and their desire for a better nation have forced them to forfeit their dreams and confront the dictator with their only weapon: Protesting. The Maduro regime has decided to not only steal their futures with economic uncertainty, but also to take their lives for speaking out. In a perfect world, Nicolas Maduro should have been forced to resign by the international community, and be prosecuted for crimes against humanity.

People live in feat in Venezuela under the Maduro Regime

The President of the Venezuela Chamber of Commerce, Jorge Roig fears for his life due to the constant threats he receives from the Maduro regime.  Like many Venezuelans, he is afraid to be imprisoned for expressing his disagreement with Maduro.According to Roig, a business closes every day because the government controls the businesses' purchasing and manufacturing funds.  Maduro consistently states that the Venezuelan private sector is waging an economic war against the government. In Roig’s view, the only thing happening in Venezuela is corruption and scandals that involve high-level government officials, such as the recent case with the Andorra Bank.

In addition to its hyper corruption and impunity, the government violates Venezuelans rights to protest and speak freely. The incarceration of the Caracas Mayor, Antonio Ledezma, and the constant threats and harassment former Assembly Woman Maria Corina Machado receives from this regime are the most recent cases of Maduro’s arbitrary and undemocratic actions. In addition, after a year, political leader Leopoldo Lopez and Mayor Ceballos are still in prison and victims of this dictatorial government Finally, our Venezuelan heroes, our students, are paying a very high price, living in subhuman conditions in jails, for protesting.

The Venezuelan people feel the same fear and frustration that Mr. Roig expresses. Venezuela's judicial system is controlled by a regime that lacks respect for the Democratic process, the Law, and the Citizens of Venezuela. These feelings have created chaos and economic instability in the country and the Venezuelan people are drowning in despair.

Venezuelans from around the Globe Stand with our Students in their Fight for Democracy

The frustration of Venezuelans living under democratic rules abroad runs high. Young brave students are getting abused, tortured and even killed by Nicolas Maduro oppressive regime   Since Maduro took office, his Bolivarian guards have murdered over 45 students, many others have disappeared, and hundreds are imprisoned and being tortured.  

Lying and deceiving the Venezuelan people about foreign plots against Venezuela was Chavez’s tactic to create fear and hold on to power. 15 years later Nicolas Maduro is using the same technique. Although this time, not even the Chavistas are buying it.

Maduro has taken the repression even further. He doesn't allow journalist to photograph the long lines and the empty store shelves. His inability to solve the Venezuelan economic crisis has left this rich oil producing country rapidly falling into an economic and social abyss.

The bravery of our young student protesters and their desire for a better nation have forced them to forfeit their dreams and confront the dictator with their only weapon: Protesting. The Maduro regime has decided to not only steal their futures with economic uncertainty, but also to take their lives for speaking out. In a perfect world, Nicolas Maduro should have been forced to resign by the international community, and be prosecuted for crimes against humanity.

Our Venezuelan students are fighting an unfair battle for wanting a better life. They want what other kids have abroad: freedom to express themselves, freedom to have a decent and productive life. We stand with our Venezuelan Students for their bravery, and we shame those neighboring countries that have aligned with Nicolas Maduro, for economic gain. History will remember this travesty and their disregard for human rights and dignity.

International Pressure Against Maduro to stop his Killing Machine

Violence has increased in Venezuela under the Nicolas Maduro's watch.  Maduro has demonstrated a blatant disregard for human rights, particularly against students and political leaders since he took office in 2014. Last week Antonio Ledezma, the Mayor of Caracas was arrested, and  Opposition leader Jorge Borges is “under investigation.”

This past Tuesday, a 14-year-old high school student from San Cristobal was shot in the head at point blank range when he was protesting. This style of murdering dissidents is becoming common in Venezuela. Last week we heard the senseless killing of three university students who were in police custody. They were found tortured to death.  The list of human right violations goes on and on with no end in sight.  The Maduro regime and his clan are very aware  that the Venezuelan problems of food shortage and lack of productivity are not going  away.  Protesters in Venezuela have emerged since last February against the regime’s inability to perform its duties.  Nicolas Maduro is again focusing his attention on oppression and human rights violations instead of solving the immediate economic crisis.

This past January, General Vladimir Padrino López, passed a resolution which gives  license to  police to murder students who protest.  This mandate supports the use of firearms and other weapons against “immediate aggressions” according with the Minister. 

International Pressure Against Maduro to stop his  Killing Machine 

The subsequent abuses of power in Venezuela has prompted international outrage. This past Wednesday the US Secretary of State John Kerry accused Maduro regime of  "egregious behavior" and promised  to expedite  the implementation of recent sanctions to those members of his cabinet that have committed human right violations. These sanctions are crucial, but in addition to the sanctions, international pressure must also  come from the UN, the OAE,  the European Communities, and all the democratic Latin American nations.

This is to stop  the Nicolas Maduro killing rampage and hopefully force him out of office through democratic means. 

It is interesting to note that the students today who are protesting this violent and oppressive regime only know Chavismo as a way of government. They have no other point of reference.

When Chavez came to power in 1999, most of the students where either toddlers or were just entering elementary school.  These young people only have known the Chavez Socialism of the XXI Century , a failing political ideology, hybrid from the collapsing  Cuban  political system under the Castro brothers, who are still holding  power after 56 years.
Maduro will not last that long. The protests will continue. Maduro will go,  but the question is,  how much more  damage will he cause on his way out.