The city that saw hundreds of thousands of people protest over and over again, and saw hundreds of them die under repression, doesn’t know whether or not to vote in the elections on November 21st.
By Caracas Chronicles – Jesús Piñero
Nov 15, 2021
People are packed in front of the passenger car doors. The train hasn’t moved from the station in over an hour and doesn’t have air conditioning; the Caracas Metro hasn’t been comfortable or safe for years.
In the subway car, some wipe their foreheads with their hands. Others take off their masks and exhale loudly. An old man looks for a discussion to pass the time.
– This country can’t be fixed, what they did was steal the money from Venezuelans. That is why I’m not going to vote in those elections. No way…
Immediately, a younger man responds:
– The worst mistake the opposition made was not going out to vote. I believe in voting, because, for example, there’s (Juan Pablo) Guanipa, who practically gave away the government of Zulia to the regime, simply for not appearing before the National Constituent Assembly. On the other hand, in Táchira the opposition governor managed to keep her seat.
– But we’re not going to win anyway. If the regime wins, they’ll assign a… a… What do they call it?
His interlocutor doesn’t remember either, so I decide to intervene:
– A protector.
– Exactly, mijo, thank you: a protector. The last credible election was that of the National Assembly. They didn’t let us win anymore after that—he replies as he adjusts the mask that leaves his nose uncovered when he speaks.
– I’m going to vote, and not for Carlos Ocariz, he’s already burnt. I’m going to vote for the other one, Uzcátegui? The one from Baruta.
– You’re right, Ocariz is old news. What’s more, all those people are. Even Guaidó himself! That one stole millions from the humanitarian aid—says the older man.
No one mentions Carmen Meléndez, the retired military officer and former governor of Lara that chavismo wants as mayor of the largest Caracas municipality. Nor Roberto Patiño, the young leader of Alimenta la Solidaridad who had to decline his candidacy for Libertador in favor of Tomás Guanipa from Zulia. Nor do they speak of Antonio Ecarri, who has run for mayor several times. Apart from the two debaters, the only voices heard are those of the candy vendors and the operator who announces that they will soon resume movement. Another pending promise that’s repeated from time to time.
– I live in La Cota 905 – says a lady in an animal print blouse – . We haven’t had water in fifteen days. Do you think that (Tomás) Guanipa worries about that? He makes his visits, knocks on doors, but that’s it. And yet he says that he will resolve the issue of the Metro.
– Stop the talk about politics, it’s getting annoying and it’s too hot in here!
It’s an old man wearing a red baseball hat.
– Put some earplugs on, then – replies the woman – . If it hurts you to hear bad things about Maduro, get off and grab a taxi. Everyone gets to say what they want here!
Water’s All That Matters
The regional elections on November 21st raise little expectations. In Caracas, there’s a generalized ignorance about the candidates and their proposals, and the electorate stands divided between those who distrust the process and those who are totally disinterested.
The disagreements between Carlos Ocariz and David Uzcátegui about being the unitary opposition candidate for the Miranda governorship have contributed to that. And although they apparently reached a consensus a few days ago, with the withdrawal of the Ocariz candidacy, many people feel manipulated. One of the spokespeople for Primero Justicia in Petare, who prefers anonymity, left the campaign: “We handed out flyers every day in favor of Ocariz and we even got in trouble with the communal council. Now they tell us that they decided to support Uzcátegui. Things are not like that, we’ve been down this road before.” She’s 63 years old, and although she went from the ranks of COPEI to those of Primero Justicia, her commitment to her party seems to have clear limits.
There are few people who truly believe that their vote can affect the reality that they endure every day.
They rely on their own individual work to overcome it. However, the State and the institutions have responsibilities. This is a given for Maritza, a neighbor of the José Félix Ribas neighborhood in Petare, where lack of water replaced insecurity as the main problem. “We’ve gone more than 15 days without water. We’re tired. I don’t know the others, but I won’t vote for anyone. Neither Chola, nor Ocariz, nor Uzcátegui, who are out there looking for votes.”
She is 64 years old and has advanced arthritis. She doesn’t have the strength to carry water up the 115 steps that pave the way to her house. Her children work and she takes care of her grandchildren. Apart from the lack of water, she has to deal with gas and the (CLAP) food box that the communal council sporadically gives her.
The solution to the water problem only appears in the proposals of one candidate, Andrés Schloeter a.k.a. “Chola”, who’s been working in the area for more than a decade and knows its problems first-hand. He has climbed the stairs to Maritza’s house over and over again, but now the electoral campaign demands a presence elsewhere and he can’t focus on José Félix Ribas. There are more vulnerable areas, such as La Dolorita or Caucagüita, where chavismo always wins. And he’s determined to beat it in this election. “It’s an unusual thing because it’s where there’s more poverty and injustice. But in this election, we’ll see a great punishment vote, a vote that José Vicente doesn’t have on his radar. Every time I talk to these people, I find that they want change because they don’t feel represented.”
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