Venezuelans went to the polls on July 28. Just hours after the polls closed on election day, Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) proclaimed Maduro the winner. The very next day, Comrade Señor Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent, and the Grenadines, while anchored firm on St. Vincent — or wherever, for what it is worth — rushed to announce that the elections in Venezuela were “free and fair.” Crikey.
Boy, that man can run his mout’. Like he really feel he is World Boss for true. Free and fair without a semblance, a modicum, a pretense of evidence is palpably and demonstrably false. It is his volcanic confidence — misplaced this time — not science, that got him to “free and fair.” Still, I wish he did engage them skills when David Ames first set foot on St. Vincent.
Same goes for the Dave Ames redux palookas at Ratho Mill, who, like Ames, are going to leave Ralph — and we — with an eyesore and a matching headache. The headache go be all Ralph’s and he is welcome to it. He earned it. The eyesore go be like a lantern up on top a bushel for all to behold. Maduro’s disciple thinks we too dotish by half; that we does lap up as gospel anything that drops out of his mouth. Well, not I. Where he get free and fair from? And who give he?
Up to now, the government-controlled CNE and Maduro have failed to provide detailed tallies from polling stations to back up its proclamation of a Maduro win. Ouch! That is what got me started. “Free and fair” didn’t do it. It is what went on in his head to make him say it. He is a prime minister, his proclamations ought to be based on facts, or at least close to facts. Even the governments of Colombia and Brazil — run by left-leaning leaders of Maduro’s ilk — have expressed “grave doubts” that Maduro won. In Venezuela’s elections Ralph is a spectator, a fronting one, and his manufactured “free and fair” is an absurdity and unbecoming. And it shame me.
A long time ago, I asked my wife how she goes about her job, and she told me thus, “I listen Patrick, I listen to what is not being said.” “Free and fair” was what Ralph said, but listening good, I heard, “Free and fair by the authority of this speaker.”
I am really a two-bit player and do not count for anything much, but Ralph is not the fat lady, and my bet is that it ain’t over in Venezuela yet.
Since the CNE’s announcement on the 29th, about 800 people are getting detained a day in Venezuela. And political persecutions are intensifying. I full well expect, though, everything I have just said is going be dismissed as Western propaganda.
Whatever.
Patrick Ferrari
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