Time for Everything
By Ruben Alarcon
‘For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted.’ Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
The people of Venezuela have been waiting 25 years for change in their political arena. As Solomon expressed, there is a time for everything, especially during a dictatorial regime [1].
On Sunday, July 29th later in the evening, Maduro was declared President of the Republic of Venezuela by the CNE, the governmental body responsible for overseeing and administering all electoral processes in the country. According to the CNE, Maduro won with 51.2% of the support [2]. However, they have not supplied evidence of these votes in each of the voting centres across the country. The Carter Center has since declared that “the presidential elections in Venezuela did not meet international standards of electoral integrity and cannot be considered democratic.”[3]
Personally, I have dealt with electoral fraud for the last three elections. Since I left Venezuela in 2005, I have not been able to vote, as I was not registered due to my age. However, the current regime has used my ID number to vote in their favor. I have never voted, yet my ID number has turned up in the voting centres of Maturin and Aragua in the last two presidential elections.
With less than three months before its national elections, dramatic political developments have rocked the United States. A country that has long championed democracy abroad now faces an extremely polarized election. One side’s candidate is attempting to persuade his supporters that only one more vote is needed for his final presidential term while recovering from an assassination attempt [4]. Meanwhile, the other side sees the incumbent president being forced to withdraw from the re-election race, with the previously unpopular vice-president quickly rising as the new Democratic frontrunner without a primary [5]. Given the animosity between the two sides, a smooth political transition appears challenging, with the potential for significant civil unrest if either side secures victory.
It has been easy to overlook the significance of a smooth political transition in the recent general election in the United Kingdom. Here, people went to vote without protests, military intervention or fear. My wife, a British national, walked to a church nearby to vote after work and even met one of the local councillors. It was a smooth experience for her. We had dinner, and later that day, we found the results from the exit polls. Change was expected in Bristol, where we live. And the government respected the people's decision the day following the poll. It is such a privilege to live in a country that allows free political expression.
Given the situation in Venezuela, it is challenging to trust a government that does not embrace a transparent and straightforward democratic process. From my observations in the UK, a clear and efficient process fosters confidence among the electorate and inspires hope in the system. People need to feel that their vote truly matters and that the process of running the election and counting the votes is above party politics and the temptations for corruption. It is a testimony to God’s common grace that this remains (largely) the case in the UK.
There is a time for everything, and in Venezuela, the time for change is long overdue. Please pray that this would soon occur, for the sake of the people and church of Venezuela.
The views and opinions expressed above are those of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the Jubilee Centre or its trustees.
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[2] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz5rj2mzgevo
[3] https://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/2024/venezuela-073024.html
[4] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/29/democrats-reaction-trump-vote-comments
[5] https://deadline.com/2024/07/joe-biden-drops-out-white-house-bide-1236016915/
