Las 46 polling stations enabled by the Venezuelan authorities in Spain have opened normally this Sunday in five cities, where 24,770 voters can participate in the presidential elections which pits President Nicolás Maduro against the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) headed by Edmundo González Urrutia.
In the polling station with the most registered Venezuelans, that of Madrid, Several dozen citizens gathered hours before the polling station opened its doors to be the first to vote and avoid possible queues under the scorching sun that is hitting the Spanish capital.
There were no queues in front of the Fernando de los Ríos Cultural Centre, which was set up by the Venezuelan authorities in Madrid to host the voting, and voters entered in an orderly fashion and cast their ballots without any problems.
Besides, Hundreds of people have gathered in the vicinity, between volunteers, observers, representatives of the opposition residing in Spain and voters who, having exercised their right to vote, stayed in the area with family and friends, in a festive atmosphere.
“I came with my whole family, even though I’m the only one who can vote,” José, a Venezuelan citizen who has Spanish nationality and was able to register for the elections without any problem, told EFE. The same did not happen to the four members of his family who accompanied him, who, despite legally residing in Spain, were unable to vote. “They put many obstacles to registration, “That is why those of us who can vote must also do so for them,” said José.
Of the More than 400,000 people born in Venezuela and of legal age residing in Spain, Only 24,770 were able to register. A very low figure, although it represents the one third of all Venezuelans eligible to vote abroad, since in other Latin American countries that host more Venezuelan emigrants than Spain, there were even greater problems with registration.
Despite these difficulties, the atmosphere around the Madrid polling station was festive. There was music, people with Venezuelan flags shouting “freedom” and volunteers handing out water and offering information.
“Today is a historic day,” one voter told EFE, noting that “it is probably the last chance for change.” “It’s all very emotional. I’m very excited. If everything goes well, we can soon all meet as Venezuelans, those who are inside and those who are outside.”
They also went to the Madrid polling station opposition leaders such as the former mayor of Caracas, Antonio Ledezma, who has shown himself convinced that González Urrutia’s candidacy will win the elections and has called on the Venezuelan authorities and the military to respect the mandate of the ballot box.
A reflection shared by the coordinator of the González Urrutia and María Corina Machado campaign in Spain, Jose Antonio Vega, who acknowledged that “there is fear, because in recent months there have been threats and arrests among the opposition.” However, he pointed out that “there is strength to face the difficulties” and he hoped that “everything will end well.”
Source: www.vozpopuli.com
