Hugo Chavez's Successor Won't Be Elected Democratically

Impact

Finally, Hugo Chávez's death was announced.

Though the complete details of his death are still unclear — especially when, how and where he died — the most important point is what happens now after his death . The government coalition will try to remain in power no matter what. The official opposition remains steadfast in thinking that the only way out of this Cuban-like communist tyranny is through elections, even though the Venezuelan electoral process is governed by an all-powerful political machine. Given that they have proceeded with this discourse, it is unlikely that they will change their narrative and face the inconvenient truth: there is no space for fair elections in Venezuela.

Attempting to take over the government from an elite that will not yield an inch by denying the facts is, at most, demoralizing. The entire Venezuelan government is corrupted by a system of unfair elections. The opposition cannot pretend to energize its waning electorate by lowering their heads to an obviously repressive status quo.

Some voices of dissent among the opposition already call for a more radical discourse in denouncing the entire system in national and international channels. This is the case of the loner Diego Arria, a former diplomat and economist that has criticized the opposition for its chronic ineffectiveness, and its inability to score a majority of the electorate. Unless the opposition starts denouncing the unfairness and repressive character of the Venezuelan political system, little can be achieved through playing the electoral game as if nothing extraordinary is happening.