After years of battling complaints of its Venezuela ties, Smartmatic announces that it is shutting down its operations in that country. It disclaims any involvement with the regional elections of October 15 and the municipal elections of December 10, 2017, while implying that the Venezuelan government did use Smartmatic “products” on both occasions.
“The reasons for the closure are widely known,” Smartmatic says. “In August of 2017, after the elections to the National Constituency Assembly, Smartmatic publicly stated that the National Elections Council had announced results that were different from those reflected by the voting system. This episode lead to an immediate rupture of the client-provider relationship.” (Emphasis added)
“Smartmatic did not participate in the last two elections (Regional Elections of October 15, 2017 and Municipal Elections of December 10, 2017), a fact that was timely informed. Since the company was not involved in these processes, and given the fact that the company’s products are not under warranty and were not certified for those elections, Smartmatic cannot guarantee the integrity of the system, nor can it attest to the accuracy of the results,” according to the release.
“Smartmatic is currently operating in some 40 countries around the world, partnering with governments, election commissions and citizens seeking to conduct secure, clean and transparent elections.”
Source:
1.Smartmatic-announces-cease-of-operations-in-venezuela
1. With Smartmatic’s first sponsor, Jorge Rodriguez, now running all information and communications in Venezuela, has Smartmatic outlived its usefulness in that country?
2. Is this split with the Venezuelan regime a simple matter of business, an act of commitment to clean democracy, or is it an act of political theater to allow it to break with its controversial sponsor and try to put the Venezuelan connection behind it?
3. If the separation was a simple business matter or an act of commitment to clean democracy, why did Smartmatic wait three months before announcing the break?
4. Are any Venezuelan regime figures owners of Smartmatic, even after this break?
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