The months leading up to the Venezuelan election in July 2024 were characterized by a mounting anticipation for change. The tenacious opposition rallied behind their hope, Edmundo González, seeking to eliminate President Nicolás Maduro’s autocratic stronghold. Maduro’s reign had subjected Venezuela to economic tumult, escalating poverty rates, and widespread famine for over a decade.
Every breath in Venezuela was consumed by the optimism surrounding this crucial day marked for political metamorphosis. However, an odor of deceit began to waft from Venezuela, stretching all the way to the United States. This was due to the emergence of a corruption scandal, profiting none other than Maduro and his associates.
A story set to release in May 2024 took a vigorous stride against this threat. Despite intimidation tactics employed by the government, their determination to unveil the truth remained unscathed. It was revealed that Maduro’s affiliate, Alex Saab, had been charged with money laundering by the very administration originally involved in the scandal.
In a rather unexpected turn of events, Saab was extradited to the U.S. in 2021, only to be repatriated to Venezuela in 2023. This was realized through a controversial prisoner exchange that was evidently structured to warm diplomatic ties with Venezuela and convince Maduro to conduct free and just elections. Indeed, such laughably naive attempts to reform a despot only ended in failure.
As the 2024 Venezuelan election neared its conclusion, an act of deception was set into motion. In the early hours of July 29, Maduro was prematurely announced as the champion, blatantly ignoring voting data obtained by the opposition. This data indicated – as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken would later reluctantly acknowledge – overwhelming proof that González was the rightful winner.
Shortly subsequent to this misrepresentation, a wave of protests flooded the nation, only to be harshly suppressed. Prior to the elections, the number of political prisoners was estimated to be between 250 and 300. This figure exploded immediately following the elections, reflecting a dreadful scene of repression.
In today’s Venezuela, freedom of expression is shriveled under Maduro’s might, and the fear of facing his wrath is omnipresent. However, despite the tyranny and cruelty in Venezuela, the U.S government took it upon themselves to acknowledge González as the president-elect, even granting Venezuelan citizens in the U.S. temporary protected status till 2026.
Although absurdly, the U.S. administration then made an about-face in January and decided to eliminate these deportation protections, affecting approximately 600,000 Venezuelans residing in the United States. Such a move highlights how wildly unpredictable and indecisive this administration can be, making decisions without considering the people it impacts.
In addition, an envoy from the notorious Trump administration had a rendezvous with Maduro, returning to American soil with six previously detained Americans. Maduro quickly utilized this meeting as a platform to tout a new phase in Venezuela-U.S. relations, eliciting a positive response from President Trump who even announced Venezuela’s agreement to accept immigrants who had unlawfully entered the U.S.
Interestingly, Maduro has only fortified his control within the country in recent times, demonstrating his dominance and disregard for democratic values more aggressively than ever. One can’t help but wince at the sight of one particularly alarming figure standing firmly by Maduro’s side – the accused money launderer, Alex Saab.