WILLEMSTAD – Hugo “El Pollo” Carvajal, the former head of military intelligence under Venezuela’s chavista governments, has made explosive allegations, claiming that the Maduro regime developed a sophisticated digital system designed to manipulate elections both inside and outside Venezuela.
According to Carvajal, the system was engineered to control data transmission, alter results, and operate with such technical complexity that external electoral observers would be unable to detect irregularities through conventional oversight. He described the platform as a fully integrated “fraud architecture,” created to ensure the regime would never lose power—and later exported to allied governments as a so-called revolutionary product.
Carvajal’s statements come at a critical moment for President Nicolás Maduro, who is facing mounting internal pressure, reports of military discontent, and growing international scrutiny. The former intelligence chief alleges that the ruling elite in Caracas not only manipulated elections domestically but actively offered the same technological package to friendly governments abroad.
If confirmed, the allegations would point to a coordinated, cross-border operation of electoral interference directed from Venezuela, transforming what has long been viewed as a national issue into a potential international scandal.
Curaçao’s Experience With Smartmatic
The claims have particular resonance in Curaçao, where the Smartmatic electronic voting system—linked historically to Venezuelan electoral infrastructure—was once used during elections. At the time, several political parties publicly expressed a lack of trust in the results produced by the system. Due to ongoing concerns about transparency and reliability, Curaçao ultimately abandoned electronic voting after only limited use and returned to the traditional paper ballot system with red pencil, a method that remains in use today.
That decision, taken years ago amid political skepticism, is now being revisited in public debate in light of Carvajal’s revelations.
International Implications
Carvajal’s testimony suggests that Venezuela’s alleged election technology was not merely administrative but geopolitical in nature, intended to extend influence and secure friendly governments through electoral control. Human rights advocates and political analysts say the accusations, if substantiated, could have far-reaching consequences for countries that relied on similar systems.
“El Pollo has spoken,” regional commentators note, “and what he describes outlines a network of influence many suspected, but few dared to detail with names, roles, and methods.”
For now, the allegations remain claims, but they have revived urgent questions:
Which countries used this system, and how many elections worldwide may have been compromised?
As international investigators, courts, and electoral authorities review the statements, Curaçao’s earlier decision to abandon electronic voting is increasingly seen by some as a precaution that may have prevented a deeper crisis of confidence in the democratic process.