Venezuela | The main opponent accuses President Nicolas Maduro of choosing his rivals

(Caracas) The main Venezuelan opponent, Maria Corina Machado, made ineligible by the government, has distanced herself from the only candidacy of an opposition heavyweight accepted by the National Electoral Council (CNE) to face outgoing President Nicolas Maduro on July 28, accusing the government of having “chosen” its rivals.

“What we denounced for many months ended up happening: the regime chose its candidates,” Ms.^me Machado, who had won the opposition primary handily and seemed to be able to rally behind her the entire opposition that had often been divided in the past.

Ineligible, accused by the government of corruption and of supporting a foreign invasion – which she has always denied – M^me Machado had chosen an academic philosopher unknown in politics, aged 80, to replace her.

However, the opposition coalition Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) failed to register it on the CNE website before the end of the deadline for the presentation of candidacies on Monday at midnight.

Many observers and opponents believe that the CNE, often accused of being at the behest of those in power, deliberately blocked the candidacy of Corina Yoris.

“My candidate is Corina Yoris”, insisted M^me Machado Tuesday. “No one is going to take us off the electoral road. We will fight to the end.”

“There are deep disappointments, a lot of anger. Many people feel that they have been made fun of. The country has the right to know the whole truth: the PUD was not authorized to register the D^r Corina Yoris as the candidate with the trust of Venezuelans,” she added.

“Worst scenario”

An old hand in politics, Manuel Rosales, 71, already a candidate against Hugo Chavez in 2006 and governor of the oil state of Zulia (northwest), was able to register before the closing time for applications.

But he is far from unanimous in the opposition where he is criticized for his regular contacts with Maduro since he became governor again in 2021.

M^me Machado always kept his distance from him, until a first meeting last week to support opposition unity. Rosales supported the line defended by M^me Machado before playing his personal card in the final hours, registering at the last minute.

“He showed that he was a very pragmatic man, who knows how to adapt to circumstances and who is never reluctant to negotiate,” said political analyst Maria Alexandra Semprun.

On the power side, everything is simple. Maduro, who succeeded his mentor Hugo Chavez (1999-2013) when he died of cancer in 2013, will seek a third six-year term. The entire machine of the State and Chavism is already in motion.

On Monday, the president was accompanied by a red tide of several thousand supporters, to submit his candidacy with great fanfare with speeches and music.

“I swear to you, on my mother, on my father, on the Holy Trinity, that on July 28, the day of the 70^e Comandante Chavez’s birthday, we will beat them again,” he said.

Nicolas Maduro, 61, is the heir of “Chavismo” for a “socialism of the 21st century” based on nationalization, 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.

The government can in any case rub its hands with opposition divisions before the single-round vote.

For political scientist Yoel Lugo, “the worst scenario for the opposition is to maintain the tone of internal tension which, with division and demoralization, is the perfect equation for the demobilization of the opposition. This is precisely the strategy that allows Nicolas Maduro to stay in power.”

“Maduro knows he loses to any opposition candidate who achieves (opposition) unity. This is why the best strategy is unity around change, and not towards a particular person,” he believes.

The CNE has not yet released the list of registered applicants. For the moment, at least nine other candidates who present themselves as opponents, but considered by the opposition as collaborating “scorpions”, are registered.