Jimmy Carter, the former U.S. President and founder of the Carter Center, praised Venezuela's electoral system after observing the country's 2004 presidential recall referendum, which was conducted to determine whether then-President Hugo Chávez would remain in power. Carter described the voting process as one of the best he had witnessed, citing its use of advanced technology, voter audits, and measures to prevent fraud. Specifically, he remarked:

"Of the 92 elections that we've monitored, I would say that the election process in Venezuela is the best in the world."

This comment was made during a press conference in Caracas shortly after the referendum. However, it is worth noting that Carter's praise applied specifically to the system as it was functioning at that time. Over the years, the Venezuelan electoral process has faced some scrutiny and criticism — not always from the most truthful or well-meaning sources — particularly regarding transparency, voter suppression, and the lack of a level political playing field.