Today Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest shared a testimonial from one of their staff members. Francisca works as a Community Integration Manager and is also a member of LSS-SW’s advocacy team. Francisca sat down with Katherine, another advocacy team member, and shared why voting matters to her.
Read the highlights from the interview below!
Katherine asked Francisca how she came to live in the U.S. Francisca stated that she originally came to the U.S. on a college scholarship with a visa. Francisca's plan was to go to college in the U.S. and then eventually go back to her home country of Venezuela. At the time, Venezuela was a thriving country. Francisca believed that Venezuela was stable and had a strong democracy, however, she cautioned that democracy is never as stable as we think.
Francisca saw the change in Venezuela coming while she was attending school in the U.S. Back at home, tensions were growing among Venezuelan citizens, voters were increasingly frustrated with the state of their government, and polarization mounted. Ultimately, this culminated in a coup attempt and subsequent presidential election which overthrew the country's democratic structure. Now, nearly 25 years later, Venezuela is still living under an authoritative leader. Francisca stated that once you lose democracy, it is extremely difficult to get back.
After the transformations in the Venezuelan government, Francisca traveled back and forth to Venezuela until it was no longer possible. She elected to stay in the U.S. with a green card, married, had kids, owned several small businesses, and eventually became a naturalized citizen. It was important to Francisca to gain citizenship in her new home, so that she can use her voice and her vote to support democracy, a right she no longer had if she moved back to Venezuela.
Presently, Francisca said, citizens of Venezuela who oppose the current government are persecuted and face human rights concerns. Some have sought asylum in the Argentine embassy. Eight million Venezuelans are in exile (10% of the population) and have fled to neighboring countries such as Columbia and Brazil which do not have the infrastructure to take them in. The current Venezuelan government has breached international agreements and treaties by not allowing opposition leaders to appear on the ballot- instead holding elections with questionable integrity.
The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, under the U.S. Department of State said the following in a 2022 report: "Venezuela is legally a multiparty, constitutional republic, the regime of Nicolas Maduro claims control over all public institutions. In November 2021, the Maduro regime organized regional and municipal elections largely perceived as skewed in their favor. Election observers and media reported arbitrary arrests, criminalization of opposition parties’ activities, bans on candidates, and media censorship during the elections. The European Union was allowed to act as election observer for the first time in 15 years, but the Maduro regime asked its observers to leave the country before they could present their final report" (para.1).
Francisca's description of Venezuela's government reflects this depiction. She stressed that what happened in Venezuela can happen anywhere in the world- especially where there is division, polarization, hostility, and widespread sentiment of not supporting the government. She emphasized the importance of safeguarding democracy and civic engagement, echoing Winston Churchill's sentiment that while imperfect, democracy allows for criticism and accountability, freedoms Venezuelans no longer have.
Francisca shared that she has seen firsthand how voters decide the destiny of their country. She stated that voting is such a deep issue to her because when that right is taken away, your life changes in profound ways. For instance, Francisca has been unable to travel back to Venezuela in recent years to see her parents as travel between the two countries is banned. She is saddened that her children are unable to see their grandparents and that she was unable to say goodbye to her grandmother before she passed. Francisca shared that she was never prepared to live in the U.S. forever and not be able to return to her first home.
Reflecting on what she witnessed in Venezuela, Francisca highlighted the importance of safeguarding democratic institutions, noting that the manipulation of the courts can pave the way for authoritative leadership. She emphasized the need for empathy and solidarity among citizens in order to preserve democracy, cautioning against self-centeredness and indifference to the needs of others. Francisca suggested that a focus solely on personal grievances and perceived wrongdoing by the government can obscure the principles of fairness and justice for all. She argued that a sense of interconnectedness among people is crucial, as neglecting the needs of others can create divisions which can pave the way for authoritative leaders. In her view, this neglect of others is what allowed the events in Venezuela to unfold and their democracy to crumble.
In Katherine's interview with Francisca, one overarching theme became clear: Democracy is fragile and our vote is the most precious thing we have. We must exercise our right to vote in order to uphold democratic values and prevent their erosion.
Get Out & Vote!
Francisca’s story is a powerful reminder of the fragility, and necessity, of democracy. It is important that we exercise our right to vote; voting isn’t only about selecting policies and candidates we want, but about keeping and maintaining our country. Voting allows us to steer our society, making sure that is can be one that recognizing the dignity of all people.
Thank you to Francisca for sharing her story, and to Katherine for writing it down for us!
Arizona’s next election is the state primaries on July 30th. Register to vote today! Independents, remember to request the partisan ballot you wish to vote on!
