Tibisay Lucena, the electoral guardian of Chavismo, dies

Photo provided where Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro can be seen with his wife Cilia Flores, during the wake for Tibisay Lucena, this Wednesday in Caracas. Miraflores Press (EFE)

Tibisay Lucena, 14-year-old president of the National Electoral Council of Venezuela (CNE) in the times of Chavista hegemony, current Minister of University Education, and former director of the National University of the Arts, has died this Wednesday in Caracas, at the age of 64 , after a very prolonged treatment against cancer.

A sociologist graduated from the Central University of Venezuela, with enormous knowledge of electoral management supported by specialized studies inside and outside Venezuela, at the beginning of the 20th century, Lucena (Barquisimeto 1959) was substitute rector and part of the bureaucratic apparatus of the CNE, an instance that then, in the year 2000, presented a certain parity of interests and officials linked to Chavismo and the opposition.

With a very prudent tone in public, scrupulous with the formal manners of institutional discourse, far removed from apparently revolutionary slogans, Lucena finally assumed the presidency of the CNE in 2006. The outgoing president of the previous CNE board was none other than Jorge Rodríguez, today one of Maduro's bishops, who then also sought a neutral language and apparently equidistant from political passions.

His appointment was not badly received at the beginning in the public debate, due to the initial concessions made to the opposition's demands, his prudence in declaring and his authority in technical knowledge.

The departure of Jorge Rodríguez from the CNE represented a relief for the opponents.

From then on, his position survived all kinds of circumstances, and over the years, that initial neutrality mutated in the context of political conflict and the continuous demands of the opposition, to simply become revolutionary militancy. , absolutely aligned with the interests of the regime, regardless of the votes.

While Chavismo controlled the country's majorities and the opposition was able to work on its deficiencies electorally, the electoral calls that Lucena managed in the CNE -along with Sandra Oblitas, Socorro Hernández and Tania D'Amelio on the board- until approximately 2008, were able to survive the public scrutiny.

When the ruling party stopped climbing positions in the electoral consultations, and was defeated in the metropolitan area of ​​Caracas, in 2008, and the then Democratic Unity Roundtable obtained more votes, than seats, thanks to a redesign of electoral circuits that favored to the Government - that the pro-government PSUV in the 2010 parliamentary elections, Lucena's behavior began to change, and her personal commitment to the regime, along with the other four rectors, became impossible to disguise.

In December 2008, Hugo Chávez unexpectedly called a referendum to consult the population on approving the indefinite re-election of public office that he needed to perpetuate himself in power.

Lucena and the CNE leadership accepted Chávez's disposition and organized a consultation in two months, without consulting the opposition.

The asymmetries in the administration of resources in favor of the ruling party, the absolute control of the Presidency of the Republic over the television signal and the continuous violation of electoral regulations became common.

Tibisay Lucena, former president of Venezuela's National Electoral Council, speaks during a meeting with presidential candidates in Caracas, on March 2, 2018.Ariana Cubillos (AP)

The CNE leadership, politically dominated by the ruling party, could not avoid the opposition victory in the 2015 parliamentary elections. But together with the Chavismo courts, arguing formalities, they stopped the efforts to call a recall referendum for Nicolás Maduro in 2016, at a time of massive popular anti-Chavista discontent.

From then on, Lucena validated the fraudulent procedures of the 2018 elections in Venezuela - the election was brought forward eight months without consulting anyone, almost no opposition candidate was able to participate, and the only one who did, Henri Falcón, denounced fraud - which They were rejected by the international community and opened the international floodgates of the Venezuelan crisis.

Then, the CNE of Lucena organized the elections for the Constituent Assembly, an ad hoc legislative body, imposed de facto, which had no other objective than to torpedo the legislative branch in which the Opposition had a majority.

Regarding these elections, the Smartmatic company, a former CNE contractor, declared from abroad that they had been altered and manipulated by the electoral power.

Lucena denied these accusations.

Respected in Chavismo, hated by the opposition, Tibisay Lucena, lover and outstanding cello performer, has been sanctioned by Colombia, Canada, the United States and the European Union, accused of undermining Venezuelan democracy with her rigged decisions against the Electoral Power.

His departure has been deeply felt in the Maduro government, and all the members of the revolutionary staff have had praiseworthy words for his memory, praising his academic and revolutionary virtues.

"Tibisay Lucena was a loyal and courageous woman, always faithful to her principles and ideals," said Nicolás Maduro, who led her funeral ceremonies in her honor.

"Tibisay Lucena has changed its landscape," said the vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, on her Twitter account.

“Insignificant daughter of Venezuela, former president of the Electoral Power and Minister of University Education.

She was a true militant for life, and she fought her last battle without truce."

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