Yeissel Pérez, President of the ‘Federación de Centros Universitarios’ (FCU, Federation of University Centers, Federation of Student Unions) of the University of Zulia, said that until now the CNE (National Electoral Council) has not met the demands made by young Venezuelans to open points to register new voters and the relocation of voters.
Lexzys Lugo // Correspondent lapatilla.com
Pérez said that some 300 public attention calls have been made by students requesting the CNE for a greater number of registration points, a demand that in his opinion is more urgent due to the proximity of the next presidential election.
“With this CNE announcement there is nothing different. They published a schedule with only one point, which is the one that is already arranged. The youth sector even demands ‘parroquialización’ (making registering points available in each and every Parrish) for the registration of new voters. How does a young man who lives in Colón or Sucre get to Maracaibo to register,” Pérez said.
The student leader highlighted that, according to the most recent record that she is aware of, there are more than 2 million young people in the country who wish to register and participate in the process of political change through the presidential election scheduled next July 28th (#28Jul).
This call is joined by the regional youth coordinator of ‘Voluntad Popular’, who asks the National Electoral Council to open 167 registration points for the Electoral Registry in Zulia State.
“In this state there are more than 600,000 young people who have not been able to register in the Electoral Registry. That is why today we request the installation of a CNE registration point in each Plaza Bolívar in the state, one point for each university institution, one point in each parish and one point in 10 busy shopping centers so that we have 167 points enabled and young people from all Zulia can exercise their right to vote,” he stated.
Kristian Núñez, a member of the VP Maracaibo Youth team, regretted that the only registration point enabled in Zulia is located in the capital city of Zulia, which complicates the registration of young people who live in the ‘Sur del Lago’ region and have to travel across the state.
“It is unfair that young people from Sur del Lago have to spend more than $50 or $100 to pay for tickets and food to go to the CNE office in La Barraca to register. This violates civil and citizen rights. The rectors (of the CNE) do not have the political will to enroll youth. That is why today we are here raising our voices so that more registration points are enabled,” said Núñez.