Almagro Explores the Outer Reaches of "Diplomatic Language"

In 19 scorching pages, OAS chief Luis Almagro makes it entirely plain just how little of the bullshit CNE's is peddling the International Community is buying.

Organization of American States Secretary General Luis Almagro set the Venezuelan twittosphere on fire last night with a startlingly strongly worded diplomatic letter to Tibisay Lucena condemning unfair electoral conditions ahead of 6D’s Legislative Elections. This Reuters piece gives a sense for just how unusually blunt – for a diplomatic communication – the letter was:

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) on Tuesday severely criticized the head of Venezuela’s electoral board in a harshly-worded letter saying authorities were failing to ensure fair elections in December.

The OAS’ Luis Almagro wrote a 19-page letter to Tibisay Lucena, who heads Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE), urging her to level the playing field between the Socialist Party and opposition.

“There are reasons to believe that the conditions in which people will vote … aren’t right now as transparent and just as the (electoral council) ought to guarantee,” wrote Almagro.

What’s staggering is to realize that the government is so hated now, it’s likely to lose badly despite 19-pages worth of jugarretas and dirty tricks.

The letter – together with Brazil’s refusal to participate in the charade of “electoral accompaniment” offered up by CNE in lieu of a proper observation mission – paints a picture of the diplomatic pressure the government is now under: just one more reason why an outright blatant fraud on 6D could have regime-ending consequences. (And not the most important one.)

Tons of people in the opposition are sleepwalking into power here: dazed to the point of being unable to see the pieces now falling into place one after another.