Human Rights Foundation’s Post

I write for #tamingcomplexity about what we can learn from how Taiwan handled the crimes committed by their first opposition President.

I don’t usually weigh in on Venezuela and its electoral process, but the 2024 edition reveals much about South America, especially Brazil. First and foremost, factions from both the right and left have “evolved” to tolerate and even embrace autocrats in Latin America and beyond for different reasons. Yes, the followers of Venezuela’s autocratic president Nicolas Maduro (and those embracing Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega and El Salvador’s “Señor de los Sueños” Nayib Bukele) behave much like their right-side counterparts loyal to Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro and the United States’ Donald Trump. Bolsonaro and Trump envy Maduro’s autocratic powers while some on the left try to justify support for Caracas through their "principled" anti-imperialism. Brazil’s Workers Party (PT), a stalwart defender of democracy in Brazil, has repeatedly given Maduro a free pass, recognizing his self-declared electoral victory. President Lula is coy on Venezuela, allowing the PT to misplace its anti-imperialist credentials while showing concern for Maduro's violent rhetoric. Lula and Celso Amorim are trying to coax Maduro to “normalize” the political-electoral process; have you ever tried giving a cat a bath? Lula and Amorim have suffered a few scratches to their democratic credentials, unwilling to play hardball with Maduro and the Venezuelan armed forces. This disappointing reveals that South America is a highly fragmented region without any operational points of regional consensus for expanding cooperation on such fundamental principles as free and fair elections. The election of Argentine President Javier Milei punctuated the longer story of political fragmentation and regional splits that leave South America floating in a sea of growing regional and global problems, including the rising number of refugees from Venezuela and elsewhere that have flooded across borders throughout the Americas. Unfortunately, Brasilia has few cards to play in Caracas. Lula cannot voice a regional consensus nor exercise the economic and political power to sway Maduro’s regime toward conciliation and drive wedges within his armed constituencies. Yes, Caracas has substantial debts to Brazilian businesses, but how this factor shapes the Lula administration’s calculus is unclear. Washington and others (including me) count on Lula to pick up the pieces, but he does not have sufficient power or prestige to become a game-changer. Today, it appears the Brazilian government is trying to minimize the maximum risk, that of armed conflict in Venezuela (and a related military incursion into Guyana). Yet, Lula’s and Amorim’s recent efforts have had little effect on the behavior of the Maduro regime and the opposition. Lula will be at play amid the international ramifications of the outcome of the Venezuelan elections and Maduro’s machinations, but not at the major league level that so many had hoped for during the run-up to Maduro’s electoral malfeasance and the counting (or not) of the ballots.

Here are top 10 arguments made in Supreme Court against the Electoral Bonds scheme:

You know the story: Citizens turn up to vote only to have their ballot tallies manipulated. The electoral commission announces implausible results, which are immediately disputed. Voices domestic and international respond, almost automatically by telling the parties to “go to court”. They do, and judges dismiss the petitions, confirming the favorable outcome for the incumbent, who rushes an inauguration ceremony. Congratulations flow in from Africa and foreign leaders, despite the well-documented electoral fraud. Directing electoral disputes to coopted courts is functionally the same as confirming incumbents in their fraudulent victories. The temptation to pretend all is well will always be present—pretense makes fewer demands than honesty—but advancing accountable democracy requires courage, and is only possible when observers and stakeholders are honest about the challenges, even if it means admitting that a free election was never possible.

Verifying the results of Venezuela's election will be one of the biggest challenges and unfortunately there are not many options for the opposition to reverse the process: One of the legal options is for the opposition to sue the National Electoral Council (CNE) over the election and then challenge the result before the Supreme Court. However, experts are of the opinion that as both institutions are controlled by the ruling party, no major progress or new information on the traceability of the process can be expected. On the other hand, the electoral process could be audited by neutral external actors, as demanded by many countries, but the CNE would have to disclose the material at its disposal and only the government could oblige it to do so. There are therefore no constitutional or international mechanisms that allow access to the verification and counting of the votes. In a country like Venezuela, where the military is a cornerstone of the current military-civilian project, the military could, if they wanted to, change the historical course of the country by denouncing the irregularities observed during the elections and enforcing the verification of the legitimacy of the process. So far, however, there are no signs that this is happening. On the contrary, 17 people have already been killed in the clashes in recent days. In other words, Venezuelan citizens have no institutions to protect their electoral rights, as the ruling party controls the CNE, the Attorney General's Office, the Supreme Court and the armed forces. However, as long as some countries continue to call for the results to be verified, the opposition has a source of support in this fact to legitimise the process. In spite of this, Maduro will hold on as tightly as he can and even defy the ailment. It is deplorable, but I fully agree with Brian Winter. We are facing a scenario where 'Nicolas Maduro goes full Ortega'.   For more insights, I strongly recommend his article: https://lnkd.in/eVJB-fRH

#Latvia's parliament, the #Saeima, on Thursday, March 14, adopted a statement categorically condemning the holding of elections by Russia on occupied #Ukrainian territory. The actions of Russia within the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine are illegal, and thefore the results of the elections will not be recognized, the parliamentarians said. In a statement, the Saeima strongly condemns Russia's imperialist actions and its current aggression against Ukraine and demands that the Russian government end the subjection of political prisoners to any form of torture, respects the prohibition of inhuman and degrading treatment, cancels all groundless accusations and immediately and unconditionally releases all political prisoners. The Saeima reiterated that the European Union, its member states and allies around the world must continue to provide Ukraine with comprehensive support, including political, economic, financial and military assistance, as well as support for civil society and the reconstruction of the country.  Deputies believe that the presidential elections in Russia itself will be neither free nor fair, as the opposition and independent media are suppressed, there is no credible political competition, and there is no presence of independent international observers, thus the elections lack any democratic legitimacy. MPs emphasized that today's Russia is ruled by an authoritarian regime and recall that its government is responsible for severe human rights violations and political repression, including the recent death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The statement was supported by 76 votes to 0, though members of the opposition 'Stability!' party plus Juris Jakovins of the Greens and Farmers Union (ZZS) that is part of the ruling coalition recorded 'no vote' on the relevant motion according to the Saeima voting list. Later on Thursday the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it condemns the holding of Russian presidential "elections" also in the Transnistrian region of Moldova as well as in the occupied regions of Georgia – Abkhazia and South Ossetia. "Latvia reiterates its unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova and Georgia within their internationally recognised borders," the MFA said. Latvia has already expressed its position concerning the illegitimate organisation of Russia’s presidential election in the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia. https://lnkd.in/difU5-A3

Choreographed Celebrations: A Look at Venezuela's Election Under Maduro The recent presidential election in Venezuela saw Nicolás Maduro declared the victor, with celebrations erupting in the streets. But beneath the surface of the jubilant displays, questions arise about the legitimacy of the electoral process and the choreography behind the seemingly spontaneous demonstrations of support. While the official results show a resounding victory for Maduro, international observers and opposition groups have cast doubt on the fairness and transparency of the election. Critics point to the absence of international monitors, the disqualification of major opposition candidates, and allegations of widespread voter intimidation and manipulation. The celebrations following Maduro's declared victory are often seen as a stark contrast to the perceived reality of the situation. Reports of orchestrated events, where people are paid to attend rallies and chant pro-government slogans, have fueled concerns about the legitimacy of the demonstrations. This perceived choreography isn't a new phenomenon in Venezuelan politics. The Maduro regime has been known to use state resources and media control to stage elaborate events that aim to project an image of popular support, even when facing widespread discontent among the population. The discrepancy between the orchestrated celebrations and the realities of economic hardship and political repression in Venezuela has fueled international scrutiny and criticism. Many see the elections as a continuation of a pattern of autocratic rule, undermining democratic values and further isolating Venezuela on the world stage. The true nature of the recent election and the celebrations that followed remain a matter of debate. However, the evidence suggests that the Maduro regime continues to rely on manipulation and control to maintain its grip on power. The international community is left with a profound concern about the future of democracy and human rights in Venezuela. #Venezuela #Election #Maduro #Democracy #HumanRights #Politics #LatinAmerica #InternationalAffairs #Governance #Transparency #InternationalObservers

Our Partner, Shryeshth Ramesh Sharma shares his insightful views with LiveMint in the news "Axe falls on electoral bonds; disclosures coming soon amendments as unconstitutional." Read more at :- https://lnkd.in/gzyPVzBz #opinion #legalupdates #lawfirm #skvlawoffices #disputeresolution #supremecourtofindia #electoral

https://lnkd.in/e_Y4xiar Thank to the pernicious influence of unrepresentative, over-powerful, unelected, single-interest lobby groups, local democracy is on borrowed time. In this blog I explore options for rectifying this unsatisfactory situation.

Though published nearly one month ago, this piece captures many of the risks and challenges in Georgia's current political climate. The points hold today, and will remain relevant from now through the forthcoming parliamentary elections. Worth the read. https://lnkd.in/ddmNT_G4