Election day is tomorrow in Venezuela. It’s more awful than anyone realizes.

Not only are the results stacked and foreordained, the electronic evidence one leaves at the ballot box is easily traced to the individual voters, effectively nullifying secret ballot. What will follow will be retribution for dissidents. No one will be permitted to dissent in secret. Anymore. In the end, Venezuela will get Saddamite and Albanian and Castro style “democracy” where 99.99% of the votes go to Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez.

That wrenching knowledge is fully on the minds of Venezuelans as they decide whether to vote or abstain in tomorrow’s vote. In one of the most poignant essays I have ever read from Miguel Octavio, he describes the dilemma Venezuelans have who feel compelled to be good citizens against all odds – and who may well be setting themselves up for retribution for it as a result. It moved me.

Be sure to read the whole awesomely written thing here.

UPDATE: Tomas Sancio in Venezuela shares similar sentiment here.