Folha, go to Venezuela

On October 17th, Folha de São Paulo published an interview with Judge André Luís Pinto of the Court of Justice of Rio Grande do Sul, in which he, in his capacity as an international observer accredited to the National Electoral Council of Venezuela (CNE) to monitor the gubernatorial elections in that country, stated that he had observed a clean, transparent election, conducted according to a modern and efficient system.
"exemplarily protected against fraud."

According to him, there was no hindrance or obstruction to the exercise of the right to vote on the part of either the government or the opposition; despite the political rivalry, the atmosphere of the election was peaceful, civilized, and respectful. On October 18th, however, ignoring the facts reported in the interview in the immediately preceding edition, Folha published the editorial "Chavista Pantomime," presenting a cunning narrative about the election, contradicting what it had ascertained from the Brazilian judge, suggesting that the elections had been manipulated through coercion, use, and abuse of irregularities—a crude expression of an authoritarianism common since Chávez. Grotesque!

I was also an international observer of these elections alongside Dr. André Luís, in a group of Brazilians that included another judge, a public prosecutor, a prominent jurist, and two journalists. With us were political and judicial authorities, legal experts, journalists, professors, intellectuals from various social sectors, and credible professionals from dozens of countries in Latin America and the United States.
Europe and Russia.

I will not refute the Folha editorial, because the interview with Dr. André Luís and a quick browse through the CNE website (www.cne.gob.ve) are sufficient for that task. I will only make an appeal. As an observer, I participated in press conferences and I do not recall seeing the major Brazilian media covering the election, although I did notice international and local media outlets performing the fundamental task of reporting what was happening there.

Therefore, since Venezuelan authorities have just called for municipal elections in December, following the guidelines of the country's constituent assembly, and considering that Folha does not believe the word of those it interviews, I appeal to the newspaper to, this time, go directly to the source. Don't listen to us, but go to Venezuela personally to cover the facts. Staying in Brazil disseminating opinions based on distorted information (often received from international agencies compromised by falsehoods) does not contribute to good journalism.