Venezuela's Neighborhood Force Party Wins Controversial Student Elections

Amid tension, accusations of fraud, and criticism of the organizers, elections took place to determine the presidency of the Federation of University Centers of the Central University of Venezuela (FCU-UCV). The youth leader from opposition party Neighborhood Force (Fuerza Vecinal), Jesús Mendoza Morales, was the victor. Neighborhood Force is a right-wing organization led by David Uzcátegui.

According to the official report, the student elections were won by the candidate from the La U que Soñamos [“the U (university) we dream of”] electoral group, despite complaints of irregularities such as the exclusion of witnesses or observers throughout the voting process, and problems with the vote count.

Jesús Mendoza es el nuevo presidente de la FCU. Así lo confirmó la Comisión Electoral de la Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV), en donde publicó el boletín oficial de las elecciones estudiantiles. #30May pic.twitter.com/o0VqkSvj0W
— REDRADIOVE (@RedRadioVe) May 30, 2022

The figures presented in the first official bulletin published by the UCV Commission showed that Mendoza obtained 2,988 votes, while the candidate for the Viva la U electoral group, Sebastián Horesok, received the support of 2,902 students. Both electoral groups represented opposition forces. Horesok belongs to Justice First (Primero Justicia), part of the far-right coalition of the Venezuelan opposition known as the G4.

“Today the option La U que Soñamos won, and they call for all the political factors of the UCV to recognize this victory,” said the newly elected president of the FCU-UCV, Jesús Mendoza Morales.

Doubtful process?
The details that clouded the student electoral process have been under scrutiny since the nominations were announced. However, doubts increased when the president of the Electoral Commission, Roangel Ojeda, issued a preliminary bulletin from which the votes of 16 universities were missing.

A la FCU-UCV le están haciendo lo que antes le hicieron a la Gobernación de Miranda: "Si no es para mi, que no sea para nadie". Nublada toda razón por rencillas menores, se ha perpetrado un muy grave daño institucional. Ojalá se produzca una urgente RECTIFICACIÓN. Lean este hilo: https://t.co/8drM3yo7mL
— Jesus Chuo Torrealba (@ChuoTorrealba) May 29, 2022

For this reason, the delegate argued that these records lacked seals and the signature of witnesses, so he decided to publish those preliminary figures on Sunday, May 29, which gave an advantage to the Viva la U candidate, Sebastián Horesok.

With all this, the student elections of the FCU-UCV became another example of the internal struggles between factions of the Venezuela right. Many analyst have called attention to the low level of political acumen and the lack of ethics displayed in these UCV elections by right-wing groups. The campaign included numerous personal attacks spread through social media platforms and witnessed by all Venezuelans.

(RedRadioVE) by José Manuel Blanco Díaz

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

OT/JRE/SL