Venezuelan Opposition Challenged in Registering Presidential Candidate
A Venezuelan protestor. Source: Bello, Marco from Getty Images
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and Corina Yoris Villasana, whom she nominated to replace her as a presidential candidate, were blocked from registering as candidates in the upcoming July presidential elections.
María Corina Machado was nominated as the presidential candidate from the main opposition coalition, called the PUD or the Unitary Democratic Platform, against current Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, in the upcoming elections.
Machado won an opposition primary held in October with more than 90% of the votes and had succeeded in uniting several opposition groups.
But since then, she has faced a ban from running for public office based on specious corruption allegations. The decision was confirmed by the Supreme Court, which is backed by the Maduro government.
Polls show that the president is significantly unpopular and that Machado would defeat him if she could run.
President Maduro, who has registered for his 3rd term, has withstood international pressure to lift the ban on Machado. Usually cautious about criticizing the socialist Maduro, the leftist leaders of Colombia and Brazil have expressed concern about his authoritarian trajectory.
President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken are expected to follow through on their pledge to reimpose sanctions if Maduro persists in his actions, which do not align with the diplomatic standards set by the U.S. regarding fair and free elections.
The U.S. lifted some sanctions in October after the Maduro government and the Venezuelan opposition agreed in Barbados on a “road map” that would lead to elections. The road map stipulated that all candidates would enjoy freedom of movement and assembly, that each party could select its own candidates, and that they would have equal access to the media.
Blinken demanded on Oct. 18, 2023 that Maduro “define a specific timeline and process for the expedited reinstatement of all candidates.” He added, “All who want to run for President should be allowed the opportunity, and are entitled to a level electoral playing field, to freedom of movement, and to assurances for their physical safety.” He also said, “Failure to abide by the terms of this arrangement will lead the United States to reverse steps we have taken.” Maduro’s persistence in his approach could signal significant implications for U.S. policies toward Venezuela.
The Biden administration’s lifting sanctions in a bid to prompt democratic progress has so far failed. The administration could reimpose the oil sanctions that existed before, in whole or in part, or seek equivalent measures to pressure Maduro. The Venezuelan leader has thus far managed to survive sanctions.
With the deadline for the registration of candidates approaching and Machado's ban still in place, the PUD on Friday, March 22 picked Corina Yoris Villasana as a substitute candidate for Machado. However, for Yoris—an 80-year-old unknown newcomer to politics and former academic—registering her candidacy by the deadline set for Monday evening, March 25, proved to be a challenge. The opposition was unable to log in to the electoral council’s online system to sign Yoris up. In videos uploaded to social media, the PUD showed how they repeatedly tried and failed to log into the electoral council website to register Yoris's candidacy.
After this, one of the parties that forms part of the coalition was granted an extension and was able to log into the system to register ex-diplomat Edmundo González. It is unclear why Venezuelan authorities allowed González to be registered as a candidate and not Yoris.
The opposition says the choice of registering González is “provisional ... given the clear impossibility of registering the chosen candidate so far.” The parties can make changes on their ticket until April 20, so the possibility of replacing González with another PUD candidate is on the horizon. The timing will be critical, because the U.S. decision on sanctions has to be made by April 18.
The chosen candidate will take on current President Maduro.
A variety of other parties also filed candidates bringing the total number of presidential candidates to 13, but some have ties to Maduro and his government or are not expected to prove serious challengers of Maduro. None are connected to the opposition coalition.
Ultimately, both Maria Corina Machado and Corina Yoris Villasana were blocked from registering as presidential candidates and it is still uncertain whether Edmundo González will be President Maduro’s challenger in the upcoming July elections.