Overview of the 2017 Venezuelan Election

The 2017 Venezuelan Constituent Assembly election was marked by widespread allegations of fraud and political turmoil. Unlike the 1999 assembly, this election was called without a public referendum, undermining constitutional norms. Key fraudulent activities included the manipulation of voter turnout figures, with the government claiming over 8.1 million participants, a figure disputed by Smartmatic, the company responsible for electronic voting, which reported significant over-inflation. Investigations suggested actual turnout was much lower, likely between 2.2 million to 4 million. The lack of meaningful electoral oversight was exacerbated by a boycott from opposition parties, which removed crucial monitoring. Voters reportedly faced procedural irregularities, including the ability to vote multiple times due to lax identification checks. Additionally, there were reports of intimidation, with state employees pressured to vote under threat of job loss. The election process also experienced violent incidents, including threats to candidates. Domestically and internationally, the election was condemned as illegitimate, with major organizations and countries rejecting the results. Even within Venezuela, officials questioned the accuracy of the reported outcomes, highlighting the election's failure to meet international standards for integrity.