Orinoco obeisance...

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Multiple elections doesn't equal democracy

Any regular reader will know how I feel about 'mi segunda patria' but so often others put things so well all I need do is link: if you believe for a second that Venezuela is a democracy or that the many elections prove it is the people's will then read THIS from Anabella Abadi and Barbara Lira at the ever-excellent Caracas Chronicles.

"Busting the myth of democracy in Venezuela": "equating multiple elections with the existence of a democratic state has been a key message of the Central Government for the past 15 years. In fact, elections –an average of 1.3 per year since 1999- have been used to justify all of the Central Government’s acts, and to answer to criticism about its political model. But, are elections the only element of a democracy?" [aqui en español ].