Such a marked difference between the total lack of precautions in the US & Dominican airports compared with the seriousness of pandemic protocols in Venezuela. This video shows Dr. @MFlowers8 in one of the early screening lines.

Airline and airport personnel wore disposable plastic biosecurity coveralls over their clothes- no one here is messing around.

While the plane was still too crowded for my liking (though there are caveats here too), physical distancing in the Caracas airport was actually enforced- the opposite of the terrifying situation in the US airports we went through on the way (MIA in particular).

I had tried for days to get a test in Western MA before leaving, but there were no testing centers taking appointments for people from out of state, and it would have cost ~$500 if they'd taken me. Since I didn't come with a test, I was given a free PCR by the on-site physician.

We were given free masks, hand sanitizer & rubbing alcohol on the plane, at the airport and again at the hotel.

Not sure which welcoming mascot I like better- cartoon Simon Bolivar or pandemic ninja. Either way, I feel so much safer in Venezuela than in the U.S.

And today again on the way to and at the National Election Council, every step is defined by real security (vs. the militarized kind). “Emergency showers” that take temperature and sanitize, hand sanitizers practically every other step, and safe physical distancing.

I’ve seen a couple foreigners get lax with their masks as in the above pic (note we’re also in a mostly outdoor space) and they’re kindly reminded to put them on better. I myself got gently admonished for standing only about 4’ from someone in line and I’m here for that.

Our training on the actual voting process as planned for tomorrow focuses in incredible detail on biosecurity at every single step. Like literal steps, e.g., “and then, when the voter steps over here, there will be another person ready to sterilize their ID card”...

Re: actual voting, the Venezuelan technology has multiple redundancies that ensure total transparency. The vote is electronic but also prints a complete paper receipt, which the voter reviews and turns in to the physical urn for a simultaneous, fully public audit of the e-vote.

Now we get a full vote simulation. We’re not being the greatest w/distancing as we crowd around to watch, but the attention to detail re: both transparency & pandemic protocol of the actual voting process itself is so well planned.

An the final signing and thumb-inking of the simulation.

Here, my former co-defendant, the amazing Dr. @MFlowers8 of @PopResistance tries out the printed vote receipt system.