Opposition Primaries in Venezuela Foreshadow Struggle Ahead for Presidential Elections

Written by Joseph Cain | October 29, 2023

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On October 26th, Maria Machado overwhelmingly won the opposition-organized presidential primary in Venezuela, with 93% of the vote. Roughly two and half million Venezuelans made it out to vote and waited in line for hours, braving the rain and heat, to vote in hopes of having a presidential candidate to challenge Nicolas Maduro and the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) in the 2024 presidential elections. However, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez, a close Maduro ally, has argued that the turnout presented by the opposition is mathematically impossible and that the primary was a farce. All registered voters in Venezuela were allowed to participate in the primary in addition to approximately 400,000 Venezuelans registered abroad.

PSUV aligned prosecutors have also pressed criminal charges, to include identity fraud and usurping authority, against the primary organizers. Additionally, the Maduro government has kept in place a ban on Machado from running for the presidency despite assuring the opposition last week that they would be allowed to field a presidential candidate in the coming year. These assurances came as a result of U.S. negotiations with Venezuela for sanctions relief on Venezuela’s oil industry if the Maduro government committed to having competitive presidential elections. The U.S. government has given the government of Venezuela until the end of November to release political prisoners and create a process for quickly reinstating the rights of oppositions candidates so that they can participate in elections. If the Venezuelan government fails to do so, then sanctions on the oil industry could be reinstated.