(Caracas) Venezuela’s Supreme Court on Monday suspended “all effects” of the October 22 opposition primary, just days after US sanctions were eased in exchange for progress in the electoral process.
The primary which aimed to nominate an opposition candidate to face President Nicolas Maduro in the 2024 presidential election saw an overwhelming victory (92%) for the liberal Maria Corina Machado, with a surprise participation of 2.4 million. people. The government accuses the opposition of having “inflated” the figures.
“All effects of the different phases of the electoral process carried out by the “National Primaries Commission” (CNP) are suspended,” indicates the ruling published on the website of the highest court in the country.
In Washington, the State Department spokesperson warned that the United States “will take action if Maduro and his representatives fail to meet their electoral roadmap commitments.”
At the same time, prosecutor Tarek William Saab opened an investigation and summoned Jesus Maria Casal, president of the CNP, and other members of his team on Monday.
The primary was held five days after the signing in Barbados of an agreement between the government and the opposition providing in particular that the authorities would not disrupt the primary and to organize the presidential election in the second half of 2024 in the presence of international observers.
This agreement led the United States to ease the oil embargo imposed on Venezuela for six months. The United States requests in particular that the ineligibility of opponents like Mme Machado are lifted.
However, in its decision, the Supreme Court qualifies Machado as a “citizen disqualified for 15 years”, reaffirming ineligibility for alleged corruption and support for American sanctions.
“How can we suspend something whose effects have already taken place? », wonders Ali Daniels, coordinator of the NGO Access to Justice. “The main and sole objective [de la primaire] was to choose a candidate. […] It’s done “.
Venezuelan justice is demanding all documents from the primary, including voting books, which the opposition does not want to reveal in order to protect the identity of voters and avoid reprisals from those in power against them.
Analyst Luis Vicente Leon rules out an American step backwards in a global context of energy crisis and tensions on crude prices.
“There could be punishments, a rethinking of the American strategy to continue to put pressure on Maduro,” he said. “The dilemma today is licenses [pétrolières] or the elections,” he believes.