Súmate
NGO
| Súmate link () | |
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| File:Sumate logo.jpg | |
| Venezuelan "conspirators", "coup plotters" and "lackeys of the US government" |
Súmate (Spanish for "Join Up") is a Venezuelan non-governmental organisation (NGO) founded in 2002 by María Corina Machado and Alejandro Plaz, and funded by National Endowment for Democracy (NED).
Súmate describes itself as a vote-monitoring group; it has also been described as an election-monitoring group.
Recall referendum
In 2003, Súmate organised a campaign to force a recall referendum revoking the remainder of the term in office of President Hugo Chávez, as provided for under Article 72 of the Constitution of Venezuela, which permits citizens to request a recall if signatures are collected from 20% of the electorate.
The recall vote was held on 15 August 2004. A record number of voters turned out but the recall was defeated with a 59% "no" vote. The Carter Center concluded the results were accurate.[1]
Erroneous exit poll data
An exit poll by US company Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates (PSB) predicted that Chávez would lose by 20%, whereas the election results showed him to have won by 20%. Schoen commented, "I think it was a massive fraud". PSB used Súmate personnel as fieldworkers. Publication or broadcast of exit polls was banned by electoral authorities, but results of the PSB poll went out to media outlets and opposition offices several hours before polls closed. Jimmy Carter said that Súmate
"deliberately distributed this erroneous exit poll data in order to build up, not only the expectation of victory, but also to influence the people still standing in line".[2]
US government lackeys
Chávez branded the leaders of Súmate as "conspirators", "coup plotters" and "lackeys of the US government". After the referendum, members of Súmate were charged with treason and conspiracy, under Article 132 of the Venezuelan Penal Code, accused of receiving financial support for their activities from the NED.[3]
References
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