Venezuelans Abroad Seek Voting Rights for Presidential Election, Face Absentee Requirements Hurdle
Venezuelans abroad desire to vote in the presidential election but face obstacles meeting absentee voting criteria, impeding their participation.
Giovanny Tovar departed Venezuela half a decade ago amid the tumultuous reign of President Nicolás Maduro, seeking employment opportunities elsewhere. Settling in Peru's capital, Lima, he now earns a living by selling empanadas and tequeños on the streets, operating a modest cart equipped with a deep fryer.
Tovar, like many Venezuelan expatriates, harbours a fervent desire to see Maduro ousted from power. With July's presidential election looming, he views it as a potential catalyst for change. However, despite his eagerness to participate, Tovar, along with countless other Venezuelan emigrants, faces insurmountable barriers preventing them from exercising their right to vote. These obstacles, largely bureaucratic and logistical, stand in stark contrast to the absentee voting provisions absent from Venezuela's election laws.
Expressing his frustration, Tovar questions the rationale behind these stringent prerequisites, suspecting ulterior motives behind their implementation. His sentiments are echoed by numerous emigrants, who share his suspicion that the cumbersome voting process is designed to disenfranchise those opposed to Maduro's regime.
Out of the estimated 7.7 million Venezuelans who have sought refuge abroad amidst the multifaceted crisis under Maduro's leadership, only a fraction have managed to register to vote outside their homeland. Government statistics reveal that approximately 107,000 Venezuelans scattered across the globe, including pre-crisis emigrants, are registered to vote from overseas.
Analysts and expatriates alike contend that those who departed Venezuela amid the crisis harbour deep-seated grievances against Maduro's administration and would likely cast their votes against him if afforded the opportunity. Maduro, who ascended to the presidency in 2013 following the demise of the charismatic Hugo Chávez, is now vying for an unprecedented third term in office.
Although Venezuelan law theoretically accommodates absentee voting, enabling citizens to cast ballots at embassies and consulates, the stringent eligibility criteria pose significant hurdles. Prospective voters must be duly registered with a foreign address and cannot be residing in their host country unlawfully or seeking refugee or asylum status.
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