A former top Venezuelan intelligence officer has sent a shocking letter from U.S. prison. Hugo Carvajal Barrios warns that Smartmatic, a major voting machine company, started as a tool for election fraud under the regime. He claims this Smartmatic technology spread abroad, even reaching the United States. These bold statements raise big questions about election safety around the world. Was the American invasion about more than narco-terrorism? Carvajal, once a close ally of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, now sits in federal prison after pleading guilty to drug charges. However, he says he wants to make things right. In his December 2025 letter to President Trump, he claims that Smartmatic was a key weapon of the Maduro regime.
Who Is Carvajal and Why Now?
Carvajal served as Venezuela’s military intelligence director for years. He broke with Maduro in 2019 and later faced extradition to the U.S. Therefore, his guilty plea opened the door for cooperation. Experts note his claims need proof, yet his insider role makes them hard to ignore. He writes that he personally picked the IT head for Venezuela’s election council. That person reported directly to him.
“The Smartmatic system can be altered—this is a fact,” Carvajal states.
Smartmatic Ties to Rigging Allegations
Smartmatic began with Venezuelan founders and handled many elections there. Carvajal alleges it helped the regime stay in power forever. Later, he says, the technology went overseas. Regime agents, he adds, keep links to election officials and voting firms in other countries, including America. However, Carvajal stops short of saying every election got stolen. Instead, he insists the software can rig votes—and has done so before.
Broader Warnings
The letter also covers drugs, gangs, and spies targeting the U.S. Carvajal backs Trump’s tough stance on Venezuela. This direct allegation from a high-level defector shocks many. It revives debates over foreign influence in elections. Carvajal’s story mixes insider details with serious accusations. What proof might emerge next, and how should America protect its votes from such risks?
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