Smartmatic does the Philippines

One of the reasons I have stopped blogging regularly about Venezuela is that everything that I felt I needed to expose I have already. Be it Eva Golinger lies about tax status, credentials or relations with the Chavez regime, the non existence of records of Chavez's favorite pollsters, the evident conflict of interests between Smartmatic and the Venezuelan government, or the family links that unite peddlers of baseless allegations and the regime led by the putschist, I feel I have done my share.

In the past few days I have noticed an increased amount of visits to one of my websites from the Philippines. So I got curious and investigated a bit further about it, sadly to find out that the firm that has rigged elections for Chavez since 2004 in Venezuela, the firm whose acquisition of Sequoia Voting Systems in the USA was challenged on the basis of an electoral fiasco in Chicago, has been contracted, to the tune of $150 million, by the Filipino electoral watchdog to run elections in 2010.

Filipinos will soon find out the sort of democracy Hugo Chavez e-voting firm provides.

Study shows how Hugo Chavez rigged elections in Venezuela

A statistical study done by two Venezuelan scientists, Maria M. Febres Cordero and Bernardo Marquez, has determined that Hugo Chavez alleged victory in the recall referendum of 2004 was unlikely. The reports concludes by saying "the Venezuelan opposition has statistical evidence to reject the official results given by the CNE. The irregularities detected were observed consistently in numerous voting centers and the magnitude of the irregularities imply that the official results do not reflect the intention of voters with statistical confidence."

The report, which has been peer reviewed by the International Statistical Institute (ISI) and the International Statistical Review, has been published in the ISI's website, where a summary can be read. However given the importance of making such a report available to a wider audience I have decided to publish the entire report.

A statistical approach to assess referendum results: The Venezuelan recall referendum 2004

Henceforth the adjective illegitimate can be added to that of dictator, that is to say Hugo Chavez is Venezuela's illegitimately elected dictator.