The silence of the regime suggests that Havana considers that in the process in which Nicolás Maduro sought reelection he lost
14ymedio, Havana, 28 July 2024 — Judging by the official Cuban press, Nicolás Maduro is going to lose the presidential elections in Venezuela. A sober headline dedicated to the 70th birthday of Hugo Chávez, a brief note on the opening of the polling stations in that South American country and several unfavorable comments, permitted, indicate that Havana considers the process lost.
The morning began in a subdued manner in the media controlled by the Cuban Communist Party. In addition to the traditional local anniversaries and the echoes of the July 26th event, the only thing that was added in the first few hours was a reminder of Hugo Chávez’s birthday. But as the morning progressed, the pressure of reality changed the editorial trend of the main news headlines. While Granma remained unmoved, clinging to its tradition of not publishing on Sundays, Cubadebate dared to narrate, on a delay, the electoral process.
Far from the front page, after four in the afternoon Havana time, the news item given by Cubadebate was still headlined with the phrase “Presidential elections begin in Venezuela: Maduro exercises his right to vote.” Concise, with the numbers from Miraflores and with few updates, the brief text was not updated for hours but, surprisingly, the strict moderators allowed the occasional wink in the comments section.
Several unfavorable comments, permitted, indicate that Havana considers the process lost
Further down in the article, it was stated: “The prestigious pollster Lewis & Thompson, in its midday report, declared Nicolás Maduro Moros the winner of the presidential election by 55% to Edmundo González’s 34%, with Antonio Ecarri in third place.” But the data did not seem to influence the opinion of readers too much, who, overcoming their suspicions about commenting in an official Cuban media outlet, let their doubts slip.
While the official article was absolutely in line with Maduro’s wishes, the majority of Internet users went the other way. Sometimes peppered with irony and sometimes directly. “I had no idea of the love that the people have for Maduro… it is incalculable… Now I realize everything,” mocked one commentator, while another raised the stakes: “Fortunately, we have a truthful and unbiased news outlet. Cubadebate, which informs us that the Venezuelan p
