Nearly 21 million Venezuelans registered on the electoral roll were allowed to participate this Sunday Opposition primary, which should clear the way for a common candidate to face off at the ballot box Nicolas Maduro Elections planned to be held in the second half of 2024. The internal elections are testing, in more ways than one, Colombia’s collusion and Colombia’s approval of the political agreement Madurismo and his opponents signed in Barbados sponsored by Norway last Tuesday. United States and European Union. According to this understanding, Washington to lift economic sanctions against Caracas so slowly a transparent competition and the participation of international observers next year. The document signed in Barbados provides clarity on this issue, defending “the right of every political actor to freely choose his candidate for presidential elections.”
It is the same paragraph of the broad and ambitious text that must prove its validity in this primary election in which 11 candidates participate, but according to previous predictions it has a clear winner: the far-right María Corina Machado, who is clearly in the running. Distance from Bridgetown agreements. Vente is the flag carrier of Venezuela Disqualified from elective positions by the Comptroller’s OfficeWhen civil conflict broke out in 2014. Elvis Amoroso, who currently heads the National Electoral Council (CNE), accused him of encouraging foreign sanctions against the Miraflores Palace. Last June, the sanction, which was lifted years ago, was extended for another 15 years. At the time, the primary’s engines were just warming up, but Machado was already establishing himself as a potential favorite.
After the handshake between Government and opposition representatives in Barbados Many political prisoners were released in Caracas. Washington welcomed this step taken by the Miraflores Palace. But some analysts believe tensions could resurface if Machado wins the primaries and the ban continues.
Detour
The process leading up to the primaries was not smooth. Henrique Capriles, another of the leaders disqualified by the Comptroller’s Office last week, withdrew from the competition. He said he wanted to contribute with his gesture appointment of a candidate based on consent this was not limited to a state measure. Machado turned his head. “We will have a strong vote on October 22 because this will be the first step in defeating Maduro and to the accomplices and corrupt people on both sides, you choose the candidate, not the regime,” the candidate asked on the eve of the primary, “We who are here and those who are out, give that day to Venezuela, Go out and vote very early and Stay alert, defend your vote and count it piece by piece. “We must seize this golden opportunity because the same people always want to steal this opportunity from us.”
On Friday night, Democratic Action (AD, social democrat) demanded the postponement of internal elections this Friday from the National Primary Commission (CNP) due to allegations of irregularities; According to formation, “making it impossible to go about the day normally. CNP official Jesús María Casal rejected the demand, urging citizens to participate en masse at 3,000 polling stations across Venezuela and 77 cities in 28 countries. About 55,000 Venezuelans in Spain can do this. “From day one, the primary wanted to be a mechanism to reconcile Venezuelans. This is an opportunity to participate in the construction of a unitary candidacy.”
Possible scenarios
The anti-maturationists decided to carry out this process without the support of the CNE. The election board’s management had stipulated for technical assistance that the primary election be held at the end of November.
One way or another, the seemingly assured outcome of this internal election will determine how disagreements between the opposition and the Government will be brought to the fore. Analyst Luis Vicente León has no doubt about Machado’s big victory. “During the entire negotiation process, there was not a single moment, neither informally nor officially, when the Venezuelan government negotiated any kind of authorization.”. If predictions of victory are confirmed, Vente Venezuela’s leader has two alternatives: declare himself the winner and call for ignoring the curfew, blow up the Barbados agreement, or step aside like Capriles. His statements do not invite us to imagine the second conclusion. Some observers say Machado will wait for the US reaction.
Leon calls for the name of the candidate who came in second place in the primary election to be followed closely as long as he receives a significant number of votes. “If he fails to register, he will claim the right to become a unitary candidate in place of the disqualified person.”