Venezuelan Opposition Leader María Corina Machado Blocked from Presidential Candidacy: Updates on Democratic Platform’s Fight for Fair Elections

2024-03-26 04:18:45
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado accompanied by Corina Yoris (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

The Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), the main opposition alliance in Venezuela, denounced this Monday that it was prevented from accessing the candidacy of historian Corina Yoris for the presidential elections on July 28, until the last moment for the closing. the registration period.

“We denounce all Venezuelans and the world: with just two hours left until the application period closes, we have never been allowed access. The vast majority of the people want to vote to achieve change for Venezuela with the power of the vote,” said the anti-Chavista coalition in a message published in X.

During this last day of candidate registration, the PUD stated that it had exhausted all avenues to be able to register its candidate, despite proposing a person who does not have any disqualification or administrative sanction.

“We have exhausted all the means at our disposal so that this can be resolved,” Yoris, chosen as a presidential candidate by the PUD last Friday, said in a press conference due to the disqualification that prevents former deputy María Corina Machado, winner of the primaries last October, compete for public office in these and other elections until 2036.

The message published by the Unitary Platform on its social network

A leader close to the main opposition alliance in Venezuela registered his candidacy for the presidential elections this Monday, hours before the nominations close, without the coalition led by María Corina Machado having announced its endorsement.

Enrique Márquez, former rector of the National Electoral Council (CNE), presented his application to that body at the end of the deadline. Meanwhile, the Unitary Platform holds last-minute meetings due to the regime’s impediment to register the opposition delegate candidate, Corina Yoris.

“I will seek the vote of every Venezuelan, without considering myself the possessor of the truth (…), because we Venezuelans are tired of arrogance, we are tired of ‘messiahs’,” Márquez expressed after making his candidacy official.

The candidate also denounced “a democratic deficit” in this Caribbean country. “We have to work to cover that deficit,” he continued without referring to Machado.

Another candidacy that was accepted by the CNE was that of the former candidate for the Presidency of Venezuela in 2006 and current governor of the state of Zulia, Manuel Rosales.

Until now it is unknown if Rosales’ candidacy has the support of the Unitary Platform and the candidate elected in opposition primaries María Corina Machado.

The members of the opposition Alliance announced a meeting with the media this Tuesday morning.

In the run-up, the delegate candidate of the Venezuelan opposition for the presidential elections on July 28, Corina Yoris, has announced that they have requested an extension to be able to register their candidacy with the National Electoral Council (CNE) due to the impossibility of accessing the application system.

The vice president of the National Electoral Council (CNE), Enrique Márquez, participates in an interview with the EFE Agency at the CNE headquarters in Caracas (Venezuela). EFE/RAYNER PEÑA R.

The registration period ends this Monday.

“We have requested, through a letter that could not be delivered personally despite all attempts, but was sent digitally, an extension to be able to enter the system and register,” Yoris explained in a published interview. by the Venezuelan news portal Efecto Cocuyo.

The communication sent to the CNE requests three more days, until March 28 to “correct the factual and legal violations that have occurred in the process” and to be able to “proceed with the application” that has been “impossible.”

They thus consider that “constitutional rights have been violated,” such as the right to “participate in public affairs directly or through elected representatives.”

However, the president of the CNE, Elvis Amoroso, has confirmed that the application process ends this Monday. “Today, by the way, the participation of organizations with political purposes to present their candidates concludes,” the CNE declared shortly after Maduro presented his documentation, according to the Venezuelan press.

The president of the CNE, Elvis Amoroso, has confirmed that the application process ends this Monday (EFE/ Rayner Peña R.)

The opposition candidate explained that “access is not restricted because Corina Yoris has been disqualified,” as is the case with her predecessor in the candidacy, María Corina Machado, but rather that “access is closed to any card that is used.”

“We are not going to leave the electoral route, you can be sure of that, if someone leaves the route it will be from the other side. Not us”, she stressed.

Furthermore, Yoris has expressed his willingness to “return the baton” to Machado. “Here we have to win the race and if one has to pass the baton to another to continue in the race, it is done.”

Along the same lines, the candidate of the Communist Party of Venezuela-Dignidad (PCV-Dignidad), Manuel Isidro Molina, has also not been able to finalize his candidacy after the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) assigned the representation of the PCV to Henry Parra.

The PCV-Dignidad has chosen to try to register its candidate through the organization New Vision for my Country (Nuvipa), enabled by the CNE for the elections, but it has not been possible.

“The corrupt PSUV government and its front men have just stolen the NUVIPA card to prevent the registration of the alternative and independent presidential candidacy of Manuel Isidro Molina,” Molina denounced on his social network account X.

So far, 30 political parties have been able to present their candidacy, supporting ten candidates, including the current Venezuelan leader, Nicolás Maduro. Luis Eduardo Martínez, Daniel Ceballos, Antonio Ecarri, José Brito, Juan Carlos Alvarado, Javier Bertucci, Claudio Fermín, Benjamín Rausseo and Luis Ratti have also registered.

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