The Primero Justice party has pulled out of the coming Venezuelan election Sunday, leaving just Hugo Chavez’s MVR party all by its lonesome to run for Congress. This news comes from Marta Colomina, a well-known journalist in Venezuela. This pullout represents the full unification of the Venezuelan opposition, something never seen in Venezuelan history. They have all decided together to refuse to acquiesce to electoral fraud through a rigged election. All of the parties who can make a statement by pulling out have done so now. They are demanding free and fair elections or they won’t participate at all.

This is a disaster for Hugo Chavez, who continuously insists that the world pay him tribute as ‘the ‘democratically elected’ leader of Venezuela.’ He was going to win anyway, but now the opposition is denying him that legitimacy. They are sending a message to the world that they have no faith in Venezuela’s electoral system, something pretty much everyone in Venezuela feels the same way about. In a fierce blow for the people, these opposition parties are representing what the people – who were expected to abstain to send just this message – really think and feel.

When Venezuela gets a truly free and fair election that they have confidence in, then we will see electoral turnout. Until that day comes, both the opposition parties and the people they represent will stay out and send a message.

Miguel has the first confirmed news account here.

Daniel has an additional longer analysis with a lot of links here.

Aleksander Boyd has a superb essay about what’s at stake and Daniel has a fantastic analysis too. Click here and just keep scrolling.