The ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV)
proposed
President Nicolás Maduro, who already appeared as a natural candidate for Chavismo, as a candidate for the presidential elections on July 28.
After three days of assemblies in different states of the country, the party published this Sunday on the social network X that the militants decided to give their "support to President Nicolás Maduro."
His official proclamation as a candidate is expected
to be on March 15,
although Maduro has already thanked his followers for their support.
"I thank you for all your expressions of love, all your blessings, all your support and we are going to unite everyone who can be united and summoned from the people on Sunday, July 28," said the president in an audio also broadcast on X.
The leader Diosdado Cabello, considered number two of Chavismo, had indicated on Wednesday that
he "had no doubts"
that Maduro would be the candidate "by consensus" of the PSUV.
In a press release, the formation indicated that there were
"more than 15,850 assemblies
in each UBCh (Bolívar-Chávez Battle Unit)" - an organization dedicated to the defense of the so-called 'Bolivarian revolution' - with the objective of proposing the "candidate of the country to achieve a great victory on July 28".
President Nicolás Maduro and, behind, a painting of Hugo Chávez.
AP Photo
Several of the Chavismo sympathizers who attended the meetings carried banners with messages such as
"The women nominate Nicolás"
, "The bases decide", "I nominate Nicolás" and "The bases with Maduro", according to the numerous photographs shared by the PSUV on social networks.
The vice president of Mobilization and Events of the PSUV, Nahum Fernández, assured that in several assemblies "the president's fight for sovereignty"
and for the defense of "national independence"
has been recognized as "one of the fundamental achievements", with the
that he can "aspire again to the Presidency of the Republic."
This process began last Thursday, and since then Chavismo has held multiple meetings with its bases throughout the territory to propose the candidate for the presidential elections, who, if officially Maduro, in power since 2013,
will seek a third six-year term. in command, in what would be his second re-election.
The head of state predicted this week that the people "will win a great victory" in the upcoming elections.
Maduro has been campaigning for weeks and has been increasing his public appearances, something that was unusual, as well as his advertisements for "new generation" social programs.
He has also promised the creation of new public works.
The opposition
The opposition, meanwhile,
must define a candidate in the face of the political disqualification of María Corina Machado
, who swept the primaries of the main Unitary Platform coalition last October.
Although Machado insists that she will be a candidate, in practice
her candidacy is ruled out for now.
The qualification of candidates has been one of the high points of the dialogues between the government and the opposition, mediated by Norway.
The banned opposition candidate María Corina Machado.
Reuters Photo
Last October, both parties signed an agreement in Barbados to organize the election with the presence of international observers.
The opposition hoped that the agreement would allow Machado to run
in the elections, but the Supreme Court, accused of acting under the aegis of the government, confirmed his ineligibility on January 26.
The opposition demands that its candidate be qualified.
The July date respects the agreement to hold the elections in the second half of 2024, although it puts in check the time for international observation missions to be formed.
The National Electoral Council (CNE) has sent invitations to the European Union (EU), the UN and the Carter Center to observe the electoral process.
The official nomination of candidates before the CNE will be made between March 21 and 25.
The Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) of Venezuela, which brings together the majority opposition, accused the Government of failing to comply with the electoral agreement signed in Barbados,
with the recent arrest of a collaborator
of the candidate of this anti-Chavist alliance for the presidential elections on July 28. , María Corina Machado.
"We strongly condemn the arrest of Emill Brandt, campaign director of our candidate (...) The regime of Nicolás Maduro
continues to violate human rights
and breach the Barbados Agreement to continue attacking the electoral process," the PUD said in x.
In this sense, the platform assured that the electoral route is the only one it supports to "achieve the change" that, it stated, "all Venezuelans desire this 2024."
"Neither Maduro nor anyone in his regime will take us off the peaceful and democratic path within the framework of the Barbados Agreement. United, we are going to change Venezuela," added the opposition bloc.
This agreement, signed last October, establishes the promotion of "a political and social climate favorable to the development of a peaceful and participatory electoral process."
Source: EFE and AFP
P.B.