2024-03-26 17:46:36
This Tuesday, María Corina Machado distanced herself from the candidacy registered at the last minute of Governor Manuel Rosales in the presidential elections on July 28, in which Nicolás Maduro will seek re-election.
The main opposition coalition in Venezuela denounced at the close of the nomination period for the presidential elections, at midnight on Monday, that the electoral authority prevented it from registering a candidacy by denying it access to its system.
The already fragile unity of the Venezuelan opposition was hit on Tuesday after the candidacy for the presidential elections of Manuel Rosales, former rival of Hugo Chávez, without the express support of leader María Corina Machado, essential to have a chance of winning.
Rosales, governor of the oil-producing state of Zulia (west) and presidential candidate in 2006, formalized his candidacy before the National Electoral Council (CNE) at the last minute, dramatically after midnight, after the five-day deadline to submit nominations to through an automated system, to which the opposition denounced, access was blocked throughout that time.
The conditions that allowed the party to register the candidacy of this 71-year-old leader, Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT), which called a press conference also for Tuesday, are not yet clear.
The Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), which is part of UNT and has its own electoral ballot, ended up unable to register Corina Yoris, an 80-year-old academic nominated by Machado to represent her in the election due to a 15-year disqualification that prevents her from running.
“My candidate is Corina Yoris,” Machado insisted to journalists. “What we warned about for many months ended up happening: the regime chose its candidates.”
“The regime took off its mask and exposed itself to its accomplices to close this electoral route,” he insisted without making direct reference to Rosales.
The PUD has not commented on the registered candidacy. According to Machado, she is meeting to evaluate the events of the last few hours.
Eugenio Martínez, journalist and expert on electoral issues, explained to AFP that the CNE, accused of serving Chavismo, can open a period of between 12 and 48 hours for the PUD to “negotiate and nominate a candidate.” There is no official announcement regarding this.
“Worst scenario”
Maduro, who aspires to a third term that projects him to 18 years in power, registered his candidacy on Monday with great fanfare and without any restrictions.
“I swear to you (…), on July 28, the day of Commander Chávez’s 70th birthday, we are going to beat them again,” said the president before a crowd on a platform near the electoral body after making official your aspiration.
Most polls agree that eight out of 10 Venezuelans want change, and they place Maduro with a popularity of between 15% and 20%. Dividing the opposition vote is key to sealing a victory.
“Maduro knows that he loses to any opposition candidate who achieves unity and raises the spirit of citizen participation,” political analyst Yoel Lugo explained to AFP. “The worst scenario for the opposition is to maintain the tone of internal tension (…) combined with the division and demoralization of the vote.”
In addition to Maduro and Rosales, the former electoral rector Enrique Márquez, who was a member of the PUD, but now calls himself independent, ran, along with nine other candidates who present themselves as anti-Chavistas, although labeled by the traditional opposition as “scorpions,” a term used in Venezuela to appoint “collaborators” of the ruling party.
The CNE now has the last word after the lapses for challenges. He must approve the candidacies and Amoroso announced that this Tuesday the balance of the applications received will be reported.
Maduro denounced that two armed men whom he linked to Machado’s party, Vente Venezuela, were detained after infiltrating the Chavismo rally with the plan to assassinate him; what that group described as “unfounded accusation.” The prosecution announced that they will be charged with terrorism and attempted assassination.
Seven party leaders have been arrested in recent days and the Public Ministry issued arrest warrants against another seven.
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