[{"command":"settings","settings":{"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","suppressDeprecationErrors":true,"ajaxPageState":{"libraries":"eJwry0wtL9YvA5F6iVmJFTplSAK5-SmlOakA-D8NyQ","theme":"hrw_design","theme_token":null},"ajaxTrustedUrl":[],"views":{"ajax_path":"\/views\/ajax","ajaxViews":{"views_dom_id:blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__310459__en":{"view_name":"blog_live_feed","view_display_id":"blog_body_block","view_args":"310459","view_path":"\/blog\/content\/310459","view_base_path":null,"view_dom_id":"blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__310459__en","pager_element":0}}},"csp":{"nonce":"03SgcoeWnJLd98qqaHhqUg"},"user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"bc8921424f39d39c64af84232b603fadae46f840a8176c1b2436a5ee00791ac5"}},"merge":true},{"command":"add_css","data":[{"rel":"stylesheet","media":"all","href":"\/sites\/default\/files\/css\/css_AJtnZDRKiPcDwZRF9CRxhLi7MMNATzBRLvIhNfcurrs.css?delta=0\u0026language=en\u0026theme=hrw_design\u0026include=eJxLzi9K1U8pKi1IzNFLzEqs0CnLTC0v1geTern5KaU5qQDy8w2e"}]},{"command":"add_js","selector":"body","data":[{"src":"\/sites\/default\/files\/js\/js_VAWKYxPX4vFoyXs0iEPUrnc99CjyNLIu_pZawjEz9i8.js?scope=footer\u0026delta=0\u0026language=en\u0026theme=hrw_design\u0026include=eJwry0wtL9YvA5F6iVmJFQA22wZe"}]},{"command":"insert","method":"replaceWith","selector":".js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__310459__en","data":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__310459__en\u0022\u003E\n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Cdiv class=\u0022blog-block__content__description rich-text pt-6 mb:pt-10 mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EOn October 15, Venezuelans went to the polls to elect governors in all 23 states of the country.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAs with previous elections, the playing field leading up to the elections was\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/uy.usembassy.gov\/statement-gubernatorial-elections-venezuela\/\u0022\u003Efar from even\u003C\/a\u003E. Members of the opposition have been arbitrarily disqualified from running for office, including several of its\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.elespectador.com\/noticias\/el-mundo\/henrique-capriles-denuncia-que-fue-inhabilitado-por-15-anos-articulo-688367\u0022\u003Eleaders\u003C\/a\u003E. There are also credible allegations of political discrimination in government jobs, which undermine the ability of many Venezuelans to express their political views freely. Due to the lack of judicial independence in Venezuela, any irregularity in the electoral process seems destined to remain unchecked. The combination of all of these elements paints a picture of an election which is\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/democracy-post\/wp\/2017\/10\/17\/venezuelas-democracy-is-fake-but-the-governments-latest-election-win-was-real\/?utm_term=.5f7b1ee236de\u0022\u003Efar from being free and fair\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThis time, President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.lanacion.com.ar\/2071773-maduro-advierte-que-los-comicios-legitimaran-la-constituyente\u0022\u003Esaid\u003C\/a\u003E that every person who voted would be legitimizing his Constituent Assembly, a body with super powers that has already demonstrated uncontested loyalty to the president. After the elections, Maduro\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=M5GQ7DomKZc\u0026amp;feature=youtu.be\u0022\u003Esaid\u003C\/a\u003E that any governor who did not take an oath before the Constituent Assembly and \u201csubordinate\u201d him or herself to it, would not be able to take office.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe president of the National Electoral Council, which is composed of four out of five government supporters,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.cne.gov.ve\/web\/sala_prensa\/noticia_detallada.php?id=3589\u0022\u003Eannounced\u003C\/a\u003E the results of the election, giving the government a massive electoral win: the government party\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.cne.gob.ve\/resultados_regionales2017\/\u0022\u003Ewon 18 of the 23 positions\u003C\/a\u003E being voted on, with the opposition only winning 5. The opposition challenged the results and claimed the election was\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.unidadvenezuela.org\/noticias\/7911=unidad-no-reconoce-resultados-ofrecidos-por-cne\u0022\u003Efraudulent\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EKey international actors, including OAS Secretary General Luis\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.oas.org\/es\/centro_noticias\/comunicado_prensa.asp?sCodigo=D-031\/17\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAlmagro\u003C\/a\u003E, a group of 11 Latin American governments and Canada known as the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/cancilleriaperu\/status\/920349907302666240\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/cancilleriaperu\/status\/920349907302666240\nCtrl+Click or tap to follow the link\u0022\u003ELima 12\u003C\/a\u003E, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/u-condemns-venezuelan-elections-neither-free-nor-fair-192202156--business.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EUnited States\u003C\/a\u003E, and European countries including\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.24matins.es\/topnews\/america\/francia-esta-preocupada-por-resultados-de-elecciones-regionales-en-venezuela-27109\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EFrance\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.el-nacional.com\/noticias\/mundo\/espana-pidio-aclarar-resultados-elecciones-regionales-venezuela_208016\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESpain\u003C\/a\u003E, have expressed concerns about the polls.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe international pressure to restore democracy in Venezuela\u2014including through free and fair elections with adequate independent oversight, but also with an independent judiciary, separation of powers, and accountability for abuses committed by security forces\u2014must continue.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022twitter-tweet\u0022 data-lang=\u0022en\u0022\u003E\n\t\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022 lang=\u0022es\u0022 xml:lang=\u0022es\u0022\u003ECuestionables elecciones en Venezuela por \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/JMVivancoHRW?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\u0022\u003E@JMVivancoHRW\u003C\/a\u003E y \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/TamaraTaraciuk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\u0022\u003E@TamaraTaraciuk\u003C\/a\u003E de \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/hrw?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\u0022\u003E@hrw\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/t.co\/vw05QOLcVE\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/vw05QOLcVE\u003C\/a\u003E via \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/latercera?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\u0022\u003E@latercera\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\t\u2014 HRW Venezuela (@HRW_Venezuela) \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/HRW_Venezuela\/status\/922070140207890433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\u0022\u003EOctober 22, 2017\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cscript async src=\u0022\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\u0022 charset=\u0022utf-8\u0022\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n","settings":null},{"command":"insert","method":"prepend","selector":".js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__310459__en","data":"","settings":null}]