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It implemented Article 56 of Venezuela's Bolivarian Constitution, stating:
"All persons have the right to be registered free of charge with the Civil Registry Office after birth, and to obtain public documents constituting evidence of the biological identity, in accordance with law."
The mission constituted a combined mass citizenship/voter registration drive. Millions of Venezuelans got national ID cards. They assured their right to vote. Over five million Venezuelans were enfranchised for the first time.
They included qualified immigrants and indigenous people. They never had voting rights before. They and other Venezuelans take full advantage. On October 7, expect turnout to be high. Venezuela's democracy shames America's fraudulent process.
Reports suggest Chavez's opposition is in disarray. In mid-September, a video showed top Capriles aid Juan Carlos Caldera accepting a 40,000 bolivars ($9,300) bribe. It was given to arrange a meeting between Capriles and an unknown businessman.
"We want it to be a monthly affair," said Caldera. Access has a price. It works the same way in America. You have to pay plenty to play.
In response, Caldera was sacked. He's a parliamentary deputy for Capriles' First Justice (PJ) party. He was also his Roundtable of Democratic Unity (MUD) coalition representative to Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE).
Plans are for a National Assembly investigation to follow. United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) legislator Julio Chavez called the video "overwhelming proof that compromises the acts of some leaders of the Venezuelan opposition."
He accused Caldera of "bribery." He said he may have broken Venezuela's law on political parties and another on organized crime. He suggested perhaps the money was intended to destabilize pre and/or post-electoral activities.
On September 17, VCS headlined "Four opposition parties withdraw from right-wing coalition," saying:
They include Vota Piedra, Cambio Pana, Unidad Democratica, and Mano pro Venezuela. They withdrew from MUD. Ballots will exclude them.
Vota Piedra representative Leonard Chirinos said secret privatization plans led to the decision and much more. MUD's document calls for deregulation, mass privatizations, and slashing or eliminating social services.
David de Lima was the first opposition figure to go public. He said MUD is "falling to pieces." He predicted "more declarations. This is the start of a series of statements that there'll be in the country against".Capriles."
On September 18, opposition candidate Yoel Acosta Chirinos withdrew. He declared support for Chavez. Another, Hermann Escarra, publicly called MUD's government plan "unconstitutional."
He's the third opposition figure to denounce it. William Ojeda did earlier. He criticized MUD's "hidden agenda." His political party, Un Nuevo Tiempo, expelled him.
He said "Democrats in Venezuela don't accept hidden agendas"or neoliberal obsessions." He called failure to recognize social policies Chavez instituted "an act of blindness".No neoliberal policy on anyone's agenda will (work) because the people don't accept" it.
