Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro warned on Thursday January 25 that agreements with the opposition on the 2024 presidential election were "wounded to death", after the authorities announced in recent days that they had foiled plots aimed at assassinating the head of the State.  

“The Barbados agreements are mortally wounded,” declared Nicolas Maduro, referring to the agreement signed in the Caribbean island in October 2023, as part of the dialogue between the power and the opposition. This agreement provides in particular that the presidential election will be held in the second half of 2024 with the presence of international observers. The United States announced a six-month relaxation of its sanctions following these agreements. 

“I declare them in intensive care, they were stabbed, they were kicked,” insisted Nicolas Maduro, about these agreements, during a televised address to the country's senior officials. “I hope we can save the Barbados Accords and advance the dialogue to achieve major national consensus agreements (...), without plans to assassinate me, assassinate us or spread violence in the country” , he added.

Authorities announced last week and this week more than thirty arrests - civilians and military personnel - in connection with "five alleged conspiracies" in 2023 and early 2024, accusing the opposition, US intelligence services and the military Colombian for being at the origin. The Venezuelan government is accustomed to this fact and announcements of the dismantling of plots are recurrent.

"Fiction"

The opposition coalition Plataforma Unitaria (United Platform) called the allegations "fiction" in a statement: "Entire chapters of fictitious stories are presented every year, ranging from assassinations, coups d'état or conspiracies of all kinds, which serve as an argument to carry out attacks against the Venezuelan opposition, increasing the number of political hostages (political detainees)".

A little earlier, Jorge Rodriguez, president of parliament and head of the delegation of power during negotiations with the opposition, had rightly downplayed the importance of these agreements: "With or without sanctions, with or without opposition, with or without international observers (...) in 2024, there will be presidential elections because that is what the Constitution provides.” 

“We will spend our lives defending the right of these people to elect the president (...) with or without the agreement of Barbados, because the agreement of Barbados is” in danger, launched Jorge Rodriguez at the tribune of the National Assembly.

The main opponent banned from election?

He also mentioned opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who was sanctioned with fifteen years of ineligibility for alleged corruption and treason after supporting American sanctions. “It is out of the question that this woman will be a candidate in any election,” warned Jorge Rodriguez.

Maria Corina Machado, who handily won the opposition primaries in October, told CNN in Spanish on Wednesday: "They (powers) must accept that I am not disqualified and that I am a candidate. They don't like that not? Without a doubt." 

The opposition believes that Maria Corina Machado is innocent of the accusations which led to her ineligibility, considering that it is a means of power to prevent her from running against Maduro. The opposition - like the United States - is calling for the lifting of Maria Corina Machado's ineligibility. This lifting of ineligibility is one of the main sticking points in new negotiations.

With AFP

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