One month ago we examined the controversy over Diebold voting machines being used in Brazil’s federal elections including the glitches associated with those machines. Now comes word that California-based voting machine manufacturer Smartmatic is willing to cooperate in a federal probe over its possible ties to Venezuela’s government. The investigation by the U.S. Treasury Department is looking into the possibility of Smartmatic being manipulated by the Venezuelan government where “Smartmatic could be a ‘'Trojan horse'’ designed to advance Chavez's anti-American agenda.” Smartmatic's four largest stakeholders are Venezuelan and the company's machines will be used in 17 U.S. states during next month’s midterm elections.
Links- Miami Herald, Smartmatic, BBC News, El Universal (Venezuela)
Image- venezuelanalysis.com (Smartmatic voting machine)
Tags- Venezuela, election, technology
What about the hypothesis that the Venezuelans behind the firm are anti-Chavezites concerned that a politically weakened Bush might be forced to soften his stance on Chavez?
ReplyDeleteUntil I learn more about who these Venezuelans actually are, what their background is, and so forth, I am treating both hypotheses as equally (un)likely, myself.
You can't believe everything you read these days, unfortunately.
Given this all sounds like a tempest in a teapot (as the old cliche goes) but one way of looking at it is that is speaks volumes about the influence Chavez has against the U.S. government. I bet there would barely be a scintilla of controversy if Smartmatic were run by Argentines or Peruvians.
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