Image composition featuring a photo of Alison Bodine. Photo: Venezuelanalysis.
An international observer in Venezuela’s May 25 elections reflects on the country’s democracy and explains why solidarity with the Bolivarian Process is more urgent than ever.
Alison Bodine is an anti-imperialist activist and solidarity organizer based in Canada who is active with the Venezuela Solidarity Network and the Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice. She has visited Venezuela regularly since 2018 as part of international observation missions. Bodine is the author of Revolution and Counter-Revolution in Venezuela, a book that analyzes the Bolivarian Process and the challenges it faces.
In this conversation with Venezuelanalysis, Bodine discusses her experience as an international observer during Venezuela’s most recent parliamentary and regional elections held on May 25. Drawing on years of grassroots work in the Global North, she reflects on the significance of Venezuela’s participatory model of democracy, the impact of US sanctions and destabilization efforts, and the importance of international solidarity rooted in the anti-imperialist struggle.
Let’s begin by talking about Venezuela’s democracy. After all you have witnessed in recent years, what’s your perspective on it?
Venezuela is a society where people are incredibly engaged in political life—far more than in the United States or Canada. Democracy is embedded in the revolution and is an ongoing process. It’s not just about going to the polls every few years, it’s a continuous exercise in education and participation to advance the Bolivarian project.
Being here again as an international elections observer has reaffirmed that perspective for me. I’ve been observing elections in Venezuela since 2018, and what I see consistently is that people view voting as part of a broader project of building popular power. Elections are not disconnected from daily life; they are part of the conversation and they are inserted in the debate about how to deepen the Bolivarian Process.
Of course, as in any country, there are people who live more apolitical lives, but the number of Venezuelans actively involved in politics is much higher than in the US or Canada. It’s really something to witness participatory democracy in action. I remember that when I first got involved in Venezuela solidarity work, the concept of “participatory democracy” seemed abstract and remote. Coming here and talking with people at polling centers and elsewhere really helped me understand what it means in practice.
In other words, choosing a president or a representative is just one part of an ongoing, broader democratic process.
Exactly. I sometimes think about Cuba’s first elections after the Revolution’s triumph, which came years later. That delay was intentional—people first needed to become literate and then politically literate. Only then could elections have real meaning.
Venezuela has gone through something similar, although there were elections from day one. For elections to be truly democratic, people need to be informed and see the vote as meaningful to their lives. The Bolivarian Revolution’s investment in political education has made that possible. As a result, Venezuelan elections are very different from those in the US or Canada, where polling happens every four years and campaigns tend to be shallow and fueled by multimillion-dollar propaganda.
You came with an international delegation for these elections and visited polling centers on May 25 [election day]. Can you tell us about these elections?
I was one of over 300 international election observers who came to Venezuela for this process. On election day, the team of observers was divided into groups to visit different polling centers. My group left at around 6:30 in the morning, just after polls opened. The first center we visited, which was in the working-class neighborhood of El Valle in Caracas, was already busy: people were queuing, eager to vote bright and early.
We observed the whole process as it unfolded, from checking voter registries and IDs to ensuring machines were functioning properly. We also saw party witnesses from both the government and the opposition present at some stations. In this instance, opposition parties weren’t present at each table, but they always have the right to be there.
We talked to voters who openly supported Chavismo and others who backed the opposition. What we saw were free, fair, transparent elections. We arrived at our last polling center at around 6 p.m. and stayed until polls closed one hour later. Even then, people were still arriving to cast their votes. It’s clear that exercising the right to vote matters deeply to Venezuelans.
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Venezuela’s democracy goes beyond choosing representatives, as we’ve discussed. You also observed a popular consultation in August 2024. Can you tell us more about that, so people can get another angle on Bolivarian democracy?
Yes, I returned about a month after the July 28 presidential election to observe communal elections, where people voted on local projects that should be prioritized. These votes followed National Electoral Council procedures but were much more local in scope.
Each project on the ballot had already gone through a democratic process—discussions and consultations within the communal councils or communes. After voting day, the elected project would be the one to receive funding. This is another example of real participatory democracy, with people feeling that their vote directly impacts their community.
US imperialism has been operating against the Bolivarian Revolution since its early days, but the aggression has intensified with the unilateral coercive measures in the last decade. Among other objectives, your solidarity movement aims to show that this is an anti-imperialist process. What is the importance of anti-imperialism in the Bolivarian Revolution?
Every election held under the Bolivarian Process has taken place under the boot of imperialism. US sanctions continue, even if they’re less visible now than in 2018. Additionally, attempts to overthrow the Maduro government by other means are very present. Just before this election, around 70 people were arrested for attempting to disrupt the process. They were backed and funded by the US.
The US also directly supports far-right factions of the opposition trying to overthrow the revolutionary government. This is why elections here are an act of sovereignty and self-determination. By voting, Venezuelans are rejecting foreign interference and asserting their right to pursue their own path.
This makes Venezuela a critical reference point for anti-imperialist movements in Latin America and around the world. The recent Chavista victory is another blow to US imperialism and another step forward for the anti-imperialist struggle. Anyone committed to justice and peace should see Venezuela’s continued resistance as essential.
Saying that the mainstream media misrepresents what happens in Venezuela is an understatement, since they are a key piece in the attempt to overthrow the government. That being so, how should solidarity be built with the working class in the Global North?
For me, one of the most important roles of an election observer is to return home and share what we’ve seen. The voices of grassroots Venezuelans—the people mobilizing in support of the revolution—are never heard in the mainstream media. What they report is that the elections are “illegitimate” because the MarĂa Corina Machado-led opposition boycotted them. That’s how they paint a picture of “dictatorship.”
Countering that narrative is essential. This means building coalitions and a united front in defense of Venezuela’s sovereignty. That’s been a core part of my work with the Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice and now the Venezuela Solidarity Network.
We need more than isolated events and meetings: we need coordinated actions, especially in the US, Canada, and other imperialist countries. This includes educating people, organizing actions, and connecting Venezuela to other struggles such as migrant rights, housing, and food sovereignty.
This is a critical moment. The US-Israeli genocide in Palestine has mobilized people massively. To deepen that political awakening, we need to connect it to struggles like Venezuela’s. The Venezuela Solidarity Network aims to be a vehicle for that: organizing events, open letters, and street actions. Sanctions by imperialist countries continue to distort Venezuela’s economy, and putting an end to them needs to be our central task.
As an internationalist who has been to Venezuela ten times since 2018, what closing thoughts would you like to share with our readers?
Seeing the Bolivarian Revolution in action has profoundly shaped my political views. As a social justice and anti-imperialist organizer in Canada, it’s been an honor to witness this process.
Being here reinforces my sense of responsibility to speak out against US and Canadian attacks on Venezuela. The Venezuelan people are fighters. Venezuela remains an epicenter of anti-imperialism. I hope that by coming here, I and others like me can return home and share what we’ve learned. Through our solidarity work, we can help amplify the voices of Venezuelans building a new society.
(Venezuelanalysis) by Cira Pascual Marquina
