Venezuelan Elections: Shocker… Maduro Not Playing by the Rules

Written by Joseph Cain | April 1, 2024

Nicolas Maduro

Venezuela’s upcoming presidential election, slated for July 28, 2024, will almost certainly be merely symbolic after Maduro-aligned courts barred Maria Corina Machado, the overwhelming winner of the Venezuelan opposition primary in October 2023, from political office for 15 years on corruption charges. This tactic of excluding opposition figures from elections has become increasingly common under the Maduro regime. Notably, other prominent opposition figures, like Juan Guaido, Henrique Capriles, and Leopoldo Lopez, have either been barred from running,  forced into exile, and/or threatened to be arrested on dubious charges all to protect the regime from political threat. Additionally, on March 26th, Corina Yoris, Machado’s chosen substitute candidate, was also disqualified from running due to an ‘alleged’ computer glitch on the electoral authority’s website. Presently, there are 11 opposition candidates registered to run in the July election, all with lower polling than Maduro, whose popularity rating hovers around 9%.

The Maduro regime’s actions to marginalize the opposition and ensure its continued survival have triggered international condemnation. Brazil, France, Colombia, Argentina, and the United States have all expressed concerns about the regime’s manipulation of the electoral process. These undemocratic measures contradict the promises made by the Maduro regime at a summit in Barbados in October 2023, where they pledged to hold fair and inclusive elections in exchange for sanction relief. Despite some relaxation of sanctions and friendly measures made by the US, such as allowing Chevron to resume limited oil extraction in Venezuela and swapping Alex Saab for 10 American prisoners and a Pentagon contractor, tensions remain high. With the deadline for compliance with the October agreement looming on April 18th, the US must decide whether to reapply sanctions on the Maduro regime for its failure to uphold electoral commitments or allow him to continue his autocratic rule unchecked.