Referendum on Essequibo in Venezuela advances with great participation
From Caracas our correspondent Gladys Quesada updates us on the development of the referendum on the Essequibo. teleSUR
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 Now we move on to other subjects, our correspondent Gladys Quezada reports from Venezuela on the
00:05 drill, the referendum and desequivo.
00:07 Good morning Gladys, and what are the latest updates so far?
00:12 Hello, we keep touring the city.
00:20 Telesur is touring Caracas, trying to find other voting centers that are opened for all
00:26 the voters, all the people here that are coming for the electoral drill.
00:31 Let's recall some of the data, some of the main points of this day.
00:35 Today, 1,000 voting centers will be opened until 4 p.m.
00:40 The electoral day is running on, it's underway and people are still coming to the center.
00:46 So only the pilot centers and only till 4 p.m. will be opened because this is the drill,
00:52 this is the electoral drill today.
00:54 But I will let you see the entrance.
00:56 I am at the technical commercial school Manuel Palacio Fajardo.
01:03 This is a college, this is a technical school that is located in one of the most populated,
01:08 we were touring the populated areas and also we were touring this working class neighborhoods
01:14 here in Caracas.
01:15 And as you can see, the people is still coming, they are waiting for their turn to go to the
01:20 voting table and to cast their ballots.
01:23 Also, as the authorities have been saying and some of the officers present here, they
01:27 were telling me that the center is receiving 6,000 voters as part of this electoral drill
01:35 and this center here has one of the most beautiful and most, I think, valuable historical premises
01:45 in Caracas.
01:47 This is the voting center that was traditional for Commander Hugo Chavez to come and cast
01:53 his vote.
01:54 So, people here have this citizen values, this citizen duty, but also they have this
02:02 inspiration to come and vote and defend Venezuelan democracy and the national values and, why
02:10 not, the republic and the constitution of their country.
02:15 We are watching the people, they are coming here and I also wanted to say, people have
02:20 been receiving the assistance because this is a drill and the officers and other people
02:27 from the electoral authorities are coming here to help the elderly to understand the
02:32 ballot, the questions, and also they are helping those in need and the disabled people also
02:38 to come and vote.
02:39 Also, I wanted to tell you the order, the calmness, this is a festivity, electoral festivity,
02:46 this is joyful, full of color, full of music, peaceful, and people is coming, still coming.
02:52 The electoral authorities have been announcing that the colleges will be closing at 4 p.m.,
02:58 we were saying that, but if the people are still coming, they are going to extend the
03:03 voting time.
03:04 So this is the ambience and this is what is living in Venezuela right now.
03:12 This is a day for celebration, this is one day to learn about the voting and this is
03:18 a day to be a citizen of duty and a citizen of honor and come to defend the rights of
03:26 democracy in Venezuela.
03:28 Also the authorities have been praising the discipline and the responsibility of the people
03:34 that are coming here and I have to say, I have to tell you, people are coming here with
03:40 their children, people is coming here with their families, even with those underage that
03:46 still cannot exercise the right to vote, even though they are coming here to show them,
03:53 to teach them, to pass the knowledge and to pass the value of defending democracy and
03:58 defending the citizen duties.
04:00 So this is more than just an election, this is also a democratic exercise, this is one
04:07 moment, historical moment, because all what is happening here, the electoral authorities
04:12 are going to gather and collect that information regarding the voting machines, the speed of
04:17 the process, everything, every need, every difficulty that is going to show up in this
04:23 process, in this drill.
04:24 So they are going to enhance the process, they are going to have an overview and a review
04:30 of these difficulties and they are going to make the process better and speedy for the
04:35 December the 3rd referendum on the Guayana-Ezequiel region.
04:39 And I wanted to tell you, and I wanted to show you, so this is one of the main places,
04:46 as I was saying, in a working class neighborhood here in Caracas, in Los Cerros, so this is
04:52 one of the hills, this is high land in Caracas, you can watch all the city out there, but
04:58 in all Caracas, we have been touring the city from west to east, so they have been packing,
05:05 the people have been packing the lines, no matter the shade, no matter the heat, no matter
05:12 the atmosphere, no matter the weather today, because it's a hot day in Caracas, but people
05:16 still packing the lines and coming to the voting centers with their ID cards and to
05:23 show their disposition to vote and to be part of this process and part of this electoral
05:29 festivity, as I was saying.
05:35 Thank you, Gleis Casada, for reporting from us from Venezuela on this day that is the
05:41 drill of the electoral for the Ezequiel vote.