A milestone that changed the history of Venezuela

Today marks one year since a civic event that defined a before and after in our fight for freedom and democracy in Venezuela: the primary election of October 22, 2023. That day, citizens understood the enormous power we had and the size of our organizational and mobilizing capacity. We regained confidence in each other and gave ourselves the mandate to fight tirelessly to defeat Nicolás Maduro in the 2024 presidential elections. This day opened the floodgates for the resounding victory of Edmundo González Urrutia on July 28.

It has been a journey full of obstacles, traps and attacks. Previous experiences led many to claim that it was an impossible task to achieve. The previous years were marked by the worst hyperinflation in history, brutal repression and a mass exodus. The Covid-19 pandemic served the regime to suppress public demonstrations. In addition, multiple previous elections had been suspended or adulterated, given the total suppression of the separation of powers and freedoms in Venezuela.

The regime fostered demoralization through a vast propaganda apparatus that kept hundreds of journalists, analysts, academics, lobbyists and submissive politicians — supposedly in the opposition — aligned inside and outside Venezuela. A chorus of defeated voices, working day and night to pulverize Venezuelans’ faith in our own ability to achieve change.

The first step to change course was to impose truth over lies. The opportunity came when the democratic forces had to face the 2024 presidential election. There was consensus around the need to elect a unified candidate, but not about how to elect this individual. Little by little, the most transparent and powerful thesis prevailed: let the people decide! And the people demanded that a primary election take place.

The Unitary Platform then appointed a National Primary Commission (CNP), made up of honorable citizens who had to face enormous ethical and operational challenges, as well as the attempts of the tyranny to corrupt the process. One dilemma was the vote of Venezuelans abroad. This possibility was as fair as it was complex, since a quarter of the population has had to emigrate. Justice prevailed over operational difficulties, and the outside vote was achieved.

Another dilemma was the interference of the National Electoral Council (CNE), a public body absolutely controlled by the tyranny. Once again, justice faced logistical difficulties. Giving credibility to the electoral process was all-important, and the thesis that the CNP should guarantee the independence of the primary prevailed.

Furthermore, the irritating disqualification against me only served to encourage the primary. A rebellious spirit took hold among citizens, determined to challenge the autocratic system that, in the meantime, was betting on the failure of the electoral process while trying to keep up appearances. To this end, five days before the vote, its representatives signed the Barbados Agreement together with the delegates of the Unitary Platform. It would not take long for them to violate all the points agreed there.

Finally, October 22 arrived. Nobody knew what the outcome of that process would be, once the moment of truth had arrived. I confess that the best expectations were to exceed one million voters. But the Venezuelan people gave us a new lesson: almost three million people went out to vote!

That day, it rained torrentially all over the country. Nothing stopped millions of people who, in a civic, enthusiastic and tenacious manner, went to the voting centers, many located in the most humble places imaginable. In some cases, people voted on their ironing boards… an image that has become iconic in history. Each of the brave voters, polling station members, witnesses and support people who participated in the process contributed to organizing and financing the holding of the elections.

None of the barriers imposed by the regime managed to prevent people from exercising their right to vote. At the end of the process, people stayed at the voting centers to do, with immense emotion, what they had not been able to do for 20 years (due to the electronic voting imposed by Chavismo): count each vote in public, “ballot by ballot”!

With incredible effort, humility and transparency, the primary achieved its fundamental objective: to defeat the totalitarian lie, to regain confidence in the vote and to raise hope for change once again. Since then, the civic movement that today encompasses and unites all of Venezuela has grown without stopping.

That October 22 was the first step towards the resounding victory that would take place nine months later. The demonstration of our victory, with the records in hand and digitalized 24 hours after the election, was the second step. Now it is up to us to assert popular sovereignty, to liberate Venezuela and bring our children back home.

That is why today I pay tribute to all the heroes who have made possible what was thought to be impossible.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAÍS USA Edition