“There are elections now,” Nicolás Maduro shouted after the election. National Assembly (AN, Parliament) will announce its preliminary decision with “primary candidates, parties and willing voter movements”. 2024 election calendar. “Inclusive dialogue,” the president added Venezuelan. But the enthusiastic words come face to face with a political situation very similar to recent disappointments. María Corina Machado, candidate opposition emerged from the primaries, Disqualified by the High Court of Justice (TJ) for allegedly participating in conspiratorial acts. Enemies have the word “forbidden” on their lips United States of America announced his comeback Economic sanctions against Caracas. Everything reminds us of earlier periods of the protracted crisis in Venezuela: the government is launching an investigation against Washington and preparing the conditions for Maduro to compete against him again in the presidential elections due this year.
The situation in Venezuela is cyclical. Negotiations, an opening draft, a sense that the conflict is back on track and suddenly official complaints that attacks on Maduro have failed, a new wave of repression and a hardening of the Miraflores Palace. No one was surprised Tuesday night when North American State Department spokesman Matthew Miller reported that economic sanctions were affecting the United States starting April 18. OilHE gas And gold and facilitated the agreement with the Spaniards repsolFrench Maurel and Balo and other companies. On that day, the flexibilities granted within the scope of the agreements made between Madurismo and the opposition in Barbados for holding general elections without exception, come to an end.
TSJ’s decision regarding Machado’s candidacy is also being observed by the United States. “lack of progress” It is among the goals agreed upon last October. The White House reiterated that what was agreed upon in Barbados “remains the most viable mechanism for resolving Venezuela’s long-standing political, economic and humanitarian crisis and achieving competitive and inclusive elections in Venezuela,” but only if Maduro and his representatives respect the principles. Determining the road map that will need to be heard and ensuring that opposition political actors have the right to freely choose their candidates for the 2024 presidential elections.” Costa Rica, Chile, the Dominican Republic, France, Panama, Canada and Ecuador questioned the TSJ’s decision. Chile also questioned Venezuela. He expressed his “concern” about what was going on.
Official response to Washington
Venezuelan vice president Delcy Rodríguez was quick to react. “If they take the wrong step of intensifying tensions, Economic attack on VenezuelaThis is “a crude and inappropriate blackmail and ultimatum”, in his view that repatriation flights for Venezuelan migrants will be canceled immediately from February 13, at the request of extremist lackeys in the country, and any existing cooperation mechanisms will be reviewed.
Meanwhile, Oil Minister Rafael Tellechea assured that Venezuela is ready to face the coming conditions. “If they impose more sanctions on us, we will have a strong sector that can cope with the global energy crisis.”
Although not all of the opposition united behind Machado identifies with the right-wing program of the Vente Venezuelan leader, They felt Maduro’s sarcastic tone once again when he “with all his might” supported the preparation of the election program “at a great national dialogue table”. “Damn Yankees,” shouted Jorge Rodríguez, parliament’s main official and head of the delegation negotiating in Barbados with the opposition’s Unitary Platform, calling on “businessmen, peasants, plastic artists, university professors and teachers” to join the fight. Meanwhile, the National Electoral Council (CNE) remains silent.
Intersection
“There is no election without me”Machado repeated. “There are millions of people here who want change and voted for my candidacy to defeat Maduro in the primaries. And the regime underestimated that.”
Political analyst Luis Vicente León argued that it is necessary to restore sanctions to face a measure “clearly undemocratic” Madurism will not solve the problem. “The sanctioners know this, beyond the internal political pressures that force them to disclose, in the midst of huge electoral pressure,” he said of the US election.
Léon is confident that Maduro will not allow Machado. Venezuela will once again face a well-known instability: supply deficit in all areas, “impoverishment of the productive sector, further deterioration of the already weak infrastructure and greater political power for the distributor of the remaining crumbs (as we have seen in the last six years). Analyst, democratic He thinks it is “perfectly natural” for the forces promoting changes to “seek mechanisms of pressure and negotiation to respond to abuses of power.” But he emphasizes: “It’s disappointing that the answer is the same and not a different strategy They had already admitted that it was useless. Because it is very clear what the outcome will be.”
In his opinion, the opposition must understand that “this is not about a person, but about a strategy and a country.” Although Leon does not explain it, he tends to suggest that Madurismo will be defeated on home soil, as was the case in Chile in 1988. Opposition defeats dictator Augusto Pinochet in the plebiscite in which it seeks to sustain itself.