>> Latin American countries are in the midst of a crucial election year, including in Venezuela.

The country's ruling party claimed another win last month amid opposition boycotts, opposition leaders called for voters to abstain from casting ballots in protest of last July's contested presidential election results.

Advocates say last month's results where many voters stayed home could further roil the country's political landscape.

Here with more on this topic and to explore the impact on U.S. relations and Venezuelans in Chicago are on a Bill Garcia, co-founder and chair of the board of directors of the Illinois Venezuelan Alliance and via Zoom, Alberto Cole, professor of law and U.S. foreign relations at a poll university.

Thank you both for joining I'm gonna Garcia.

Venezuela has had 2 crucial elections.

Of course, last year, the presidential and most recently, the gubernatorial voters responded to this most recent election.

>> But the situation in Venezuela doesn't change into himself.

how voters have responded.

Unfortunately, you know, the July 2024 election was an election.

That was them.

We all think when we saw, you know, be how people went to the street and will help people.

You know, yes, they they went to the polls and and the enthusiasm of the people really showed about died in action.

And then finally, you know, we just knowing taking the was name was tunnel.

My total, the selective faith in the system to get is no way that people back again to digest, too, to what you know, what you see.

We suggest you go to vote.

So believe that Tim, you this is going to happen for many years.

You know, people really in Venezuela and see that.

He everything's of change.

You know, people would know really going expose inception of the something that not been happening the CDC.

>> Professor Paul, what impact will these elections have on mass migration and immigration?

>> Well, that's a very complicated issue because you have to look at exactly the Trump administration's policies.

And then as well on migration, which right now the Trump administration has been very clear that it will not accept any more immigrants from it as well.

fact, the Trump administration very busy.

The reporting Venezuela on migrants back to men as well.

So I've been as well as as pointed out, has been a major disaster, a catastrophe.

And for decades now.

And what these recent elections did was that they they come for the says you know, that the opposition called for a boycott, precise because last year they won the presidential elections and very cleanly.

This was confirmed by numerous international observers have by very, very clear evidence.

And yet my ignore those resources and has stayed in power.

So this time around the the opposition's that well, why should we participate in these elections which are just for show.

And so they boycotted in some districts.

By the way, the boycott rate was about 80%.

All eligible voters did not vote for these parliamentary elections.

many as 80 anywhere between 60 and 80%.

Voters that did not responded.

Election on North course is claiming a great victory, but it's it's a hollow victory how are community members here being impacted by the circumstances in Venezuela.

>> But, you know, the sequence as some innocent it when we see that to tee, you know, the administration, the Trump administration right now, you know that taming intense open, even 8 in the TPS, it then put it but think that it's that was one of the things that they at taming a says he pollution minutes with a change.

You know, the has the situation has improved.

So if you know the mean, that's a classic point south of something that we say would have known I mean, because they had a little everything's that really is.

It tells us situation is something that would prove we have to have fun is in Venezuela.

We still have, you know, people that we shipping goods food and maybe scenes and, you know, making equipment on those things because the situation not improved.

So community is some emotional This this role because we don't know really what is going to happen next.

There always a next.

So is is always going just to thinking about okay, I'm going to and going to leave.

But actually right.

Well, and we don't have it exactly right.

So it is Venezuelan seeking asylum in Chicago or in the U.S. for that matter.

If they are forced to return to Venezuela.

>> What Mike, our lives be like.

What could happen for that live.

But what is going to we've seen already that to, you know, win Minnesota as they go pack, the ones that have the port.

It.

They have been taken to prison.

They had been general put away from their families and their communities.

So is is not be easy situation for anybody who wants to go back.

is is not I wish that's somebody really clued say, oh, yes, going back to Venezuela is the safest, you they no to go back, but it's not.

That's not the case.

A professor Cole want to talk about Mexico because they just had their first judicial election this past >> Now that, you know, judges have been elected.

What might change in the political landscape there and in the country.

>> I think it's not good meals.

And I think that we all should worry about what's happening in Mexico.

seeing in Mexico is the gradual growth of what I call soft authoritarianism is not authoritarianism thrown out, right?

Cool or tanks on the streets, but it's not for tearing his of which the ruling party the morning.

A party has a lock on the Congress they created this new system in which judges are elected.

What does this mean?

It means that to be candidate for a judge.

You have to be on the list and that list has to cleared by the Senate who controls the Senate, the ruling party, which has a majority.

so that means that in these recent elections for judges, the government's sunshine and candidates, one appointment and you're looking out appointments for 90 years in the case of the judicial judges, 6 years for those judges on the electoral tribunal said very important body, Mexico, which is being totally on mind by the SoCal reforms.

So the election judges means the election of judges that have been point that have been clear that have been approved by the party control Senate.

So I think we're going to see this kind of authoritarianism.

It also means that these charges are going to much more pliable to the drug cartels in Mexico, which will affect the United States point directly, of course that.

Well, professor