Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro officially submitted his candidacy for re-election to the National Electoral Council (CNE) on Monday March 25, accused by many of being at the behest of those in power and of wanting to prevent the candidacies of the opposition led by Maria. Corina Machado.

“Mr. President Nicolas Maduro, Mr. Candidate of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), we put the destiny of the homeland in your hands, and we know that you will never let this people down,” said Diosdado Cabello, vice president. -president of the PSUV, after signing the official documents.

The deadline for candidate registration is Monday. If Nicolas Maduro's candidacy is now official, the main opposition platform has not yet succeeded in registering its representative.

#EnVivo 📹 | Registration of the Candidature before the CNE for the presidential elections of #28Jul de 2024. https://t.co/thoJPBMqNa

— Nicolás Maduro (@NicolasMaduro) March 25, 2024

Green light for Maduro

Dressed in a white tracksuit in the colors of Venezuela, and brandishing a sign with drawings of Simon Bolivar and Hugo Chavez, Nicolas Maduro wanted to make the ceremony a demonstration. He was accompanied to the CNE by thousands of supporters, many of whom, dressed in red, chanted his name. 

Nicolas Maduro, 61, is the heir of “Chavismo”, the doctrine of his predecessor Hugo Chavez (1999-2013) for a “socialism of the 21st century” based on nationalizations and a strong presence of the State and the military apparatus.

More than 60 countries, including the United States, did not recognize his re-election in 2018, boycotted by the opposition. This non-recognition led to economic sanctions targeting in particular the country's oil sector, which has the largest reserves of black gold on the planet.

Red light for Machado

Her rival Maria Corina Machado won hands down the primaries of the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) coalition, and seemed to be able to rally the entire opposition behind her. But she was declared ineligible, accused by the authorities of corruption and of supporting a foreign invasion. Accusations that she has always denied. 

To compensate for this ineligibility, on Friday she appointed an unknown person with the same first name to replace her: Corina Yoris, an 80-year-old philosopher and university professor. “We will fight this fight together,” said Corina Machado, who will remain the face of the campaign.

However, the PUD has still not succeeded in registering Corina Yoris. Same observation for Manuel Rosales, governor of the oil state of Zulia, candidate for president in 2006 and who also aspires to confront Nicolas Maduro.

With AFP

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