Venezuelan Electoral Council Condemns Plan to Destabilize Elections

Caracas , October 25, 2006 (Venezuelanalysis.com)— In a press conference last Sunday, Tibisay Lucena, the President of Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) condemned what she called the beginning of a campaign to “sabotage the democratic political process.” Her comments come in the wake of the break-in of the home of CNE Presidential Assistant, Eduardo González, when a hooded individual entered his home on Saturday, and without “taking anything valuable, physically assaulted his wife.” It was later reported that the individual did make off with a computer.

Lucena announced that the CNE publicly and categorically condemned the violation against González’ wife , and further blamed the incident on a “political mafia”, working to carry out a dirty war against the members of the CNE, with the goal of impeding the democratic political process.

“The days when extremist political groups utilized delinquents to morally and personally attack electoral officials throughout the country, are not far away,” said Lucena.

Nevertheless, Lucena added that “no moral or physical aggression will detain the electoral process,” nor will they “alter the neutral and impartial position that the electoral body has assumed.”

Various Venezuelan officials and politicians publicly condemned the incident and any possible destabilization plan.

“With an event such as this, one should leave all hypotheses open,” said Communication Minister, William Lara. “In the Council of Ministers we considered that one of the diverse hypotheses to investigate is that there is political intention against the aggression, particularly because the people that assaulted the wife of doctor Eduardo González in their home didn’t take anything of value,” added Lara.

National Assembly Representative, Saúl Ortega has called on the Attorney General to investigate the campaign against the CNE.

Members of the opposition also condemned the incident, but denied the existence of a destabilization plan.

“We repudiate whatsoever any event and any manifestation of violence. We believe that we are talking about a group of anarchists, but there are anarchists on both sides,” said opposition candidate Manuel Rosales.

José Vicente Carrasquero, Rosales’ campaign manager also denied the existence of a destabilization plan.

“We don’t see the connection that could exist between what is the common crime carried out in Venezuela, and this supposed chain of events that are being carried out to intimidate the CNE officials. This is an alarm that you have to take in to account, but I don’t see that there have been so many events to condemn a supposed campaign,” said Carrasquero.