Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution declares victory in governor elections

In the Oct. 15 regional elections, Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution secured a major victory against the far-right opposition, winning 17 out of 23 governor seats – with one still undecided. States like Lara and Miranda, which had long been dominated by the bourgeois parties, were secured by the United Socialist Party (PSUV). Voter turnout, over 61%, was the highest turnout for governor elections in over a decade.

By all accounts, this was a significant victory for the national democratic process underway, and confirmed that the masses stood with the Maduro government and the Bolivarian Revolution. It showed that the people stood behind the National Constituent Assembly (ANC), currently in the process of writing a new constitution, and not with the anti-democratic opposition that organized violent protests over the past few months, leading to over 100 deaths.

To some, this summer looked like the beginning of the end of the Bolivarian Revolution. Rich neighborhoods were in open rebellion with roadblocks and fascist thugs lynching suspected government supporters. The Trump administration and the Santos government in Colombia were calling for a coup d’état and threatening military invasion. When elections were successfully held for the Constituent Assembly on July 31, economic sanctions from the U.S. were tightened on the Venezuelan economy, already hurting from structural weaknesses, economic sabotage and corruption.

The Bolivarian movement, despite the odds, has not only held the line against the reactionaries, but has advanced and secured further popular support for their national liberation struggle.

The dangers are not yet over, however. The far-right opposition has secured regional control over the states of Táchira, Mérida, and Zulia. Along the Colombian border, these states make up a largely rural region where ranchers and the old oligarchy still hold the reins of power. Colombian death squads have been known to cross the border – at the pay of the ranchers – to assassinate Bolivarian activists. Smuggling is rampant in this region, and is done under the watchful eye of far-right political leaders who want to see the Venezuelan economy bleed. Many in the Bolivarian movement are calling on the government to secure control of this region to prevent it from becoming a base for further destabilization and paramilitary violence.