Venezuela: New Evidence of Electoral Irregularities in Amazonas

Venezuelan lawmaker Hector Rodriguez presented Tuesday new evidence on the electoral crimes committed in the Amazonas state during the past Dec. 6 parliamentary elections.

Rodriguez, who is the national coordinator of the socialist PSUV party as well as an elected representative for Bolivar state in the National Assembly, presented an audio recording in which the right-wing governor of Amazonas state, Liborio Guarulla, discusses with another man the manipulation of vote machines in a polling station.

​This new video follows a previous one in which an Amazonas state government worker, Victoria Franchi, speaks clearly of vote-buying. Rodriguez said Franchi is currently in Colombia under the protection of a paramilitary group.

Rodriguez also showed two more videos in which citizens admit they received money from coordinators of the right-wing MUD coalition to pay people who voted for them.

He condemned the actions taken by the right-wing politicians and said they are trying to overthrow the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

​The election victories of three right-wing legislators and one socialist legislator from Amazonas state have been suspended by the Supreme Court, which prevented them from taking their seats until an investigation for electoral fraud is concluded.

Nevertheless, the new National Assembly, dominated by the MUD alliance, ignored the court’s ruling and swore in its three legislators Wednesday.

In response, the top Venezuelan court ruled that all decisions made by the National Assembly be nulled while an investigation continues into voting irregularities.