(Bloomberg) – Venezuela has banned opposition leader María Corina Machado from running in the next election, sparking more tension ahead of the 2024 presidential poll.
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Machado’s ban, like those imposed on other opposition figures, including former governor and two-time presidential candidate Henrique Capriles, is on the face of it seeking to keep her out of the race. next year. In practice, however, she and other candidates are ignoring the bans and hoping the government will eventually have to roll them back.
The announcement comes just two weeks after the government began a controversial process to restructure the electorate, prompting the opposition to plan primaries without its support. The decision to make Machado ineligible appears to be an attempt to discourage opposition voters.
Machado called the ban unnecessary in remarks made earlier Friday at a rally in the late Hugo Chavez’s hometown of Barinas.
“It only shows one thing: they know they’re defeated,” Machado said. “I would say to the regime, ‘desperation is a very bad adviser’, and it seems that they are very desperate because they just make mistake after mistake.”
“Political rights”
The government announced the ban in a letter from the comptroller’s office to lawmaker José Brito who had requested information on Machado’s status on Monday. She is to be banned from holding public office for 15 years retroactive from 2015, says the letter, dated June 27 but leaked on Friday.
According to the comptroller’s office, Machado made errors and omissions in her asset declarations and failed to account for about half of the funds she administered. The government also said she was linked to several “corruption plots” led by former interim president Juan Guaidó. They also accused her of complicity in the economic blockade and sanctions against Venezuela.
“It is clear that no administrative authority should take away political rights from a citizen,” Colombian President and Maduro ally Gustavo Petro said in a tweet after the announcement.
Recent polls show Machado’s popularity is on the rise and she currently leads 14 candidates vying to challenge President Nicolás Maduro in the 2024 elections. The latest survey from Caracas-based firm ORC Consultores showed her with 46.4% of voting intention in May, against 35.4% in November.
“This may be a desperate attempt to curb the support Machado is getting from people going to the primaries,” said Oswaldo Ramirez Colina, director of ORC Consultores. According to recent studies by his firm, eight out of 10 primary voters don’t care if their candidate is ineligible, “they would vote for him anyway.”
Capriles, one of Machado’s main suitors, said Machado’s ban was illegitimate, unwarranted and unconstitutional.
(Updates with letter details in sixth, Ramirez’s comments in ninth, Capriles’ comments in last paragraph)
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