LatinNews Daily - 19 November 2021 |
VENEZUELA: Campaigning closes ahead of regional elections |
On 18 November, campaigning closed ahead of Venezuela’s 21 November regional and municipal elections. Analysis: These elections will mark the first time that the opposition has participated in an election since 2017, when it began a policy of boycotting votes in protest at alleged electoral fraud and political violence committed by armed government supporters. The abandonment of the boycott strategy is a recognition that it has enabled the ruling Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV) to dominate every level of government, whilst failing to delegitimise President Nicolás Maduro’s administration in the eyes of enough voters to trigger sustained mass protests. The election campaign has seen greatly diminished violence and repression compared with previous election cycles, and the presence of international electoral observers has raised opposition hopes.
Looking Ahead: Voter turnout will be key to the opposition’s chances. The local pollster Datanálisis predicted last month that an abstention rate of 55% or higher could see the ruling PSUV-led coalition win 18 of the 23 gubernatorial races. Datanálisis predicts uneven turnout in different states, of between around 40% and 70% of eligible voters. |