Venezuela's highest court upholds ban on opposition presidential candidate

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Venezuela’s highest court upholds ban on opposition presidential candidate

BY REGINA GARCIA CANO
Updated 9:30 PM EST, January 26, 2024

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The prospect of a free presidential election in Venezuela was dealt a heavy blow Friday when the country’s highest court upheld a ban on the candidacy of María Corina Machado, a longtime government foe and winner of the primary held by the opposition faction backed by the United States.

The ruling came months after President Nicolás Maduro and the U.S.-backed opposition reached an agreement aimed at leveling the playing field ahead of the election later this year. The deal led Washington to ease economic sanctions on Maduro’s government.

Machado, a former lawmaker, won the opposition’s independently run presidential primary in October with more than 90% of the votes. Her victory came despite the government announcing a 15-year ban on her running for office just days after she formally entered the race in June.

She was able to participate in the primary election because the effort was organized by a commission independent of Venezuela’s electoral authorities. She insisted throughout the campaign that she never received an official notification of the ban, and said that voters, not ruling-party loyalists, are the rightful decision-makers of her candidacy.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-opposition-candidate-ban-machado-maduro-ed68b5d422e454371186c745046ebd75

[Marcus IM]

1. Key phrase: ... a commission independent of Venezuela's electoral authorities

The Venezuelan-US backed Q-Anon selection.

[Farmer-Rick]

2. So what happened to Trump's favorite, Juan Guaido and his young pretty wife?

Well, Machado is a strong supporter of free trade, an avid capitalist who wants to sell off Venezuela's state run agencies and favors foreign intervention and US sanctions against Venezuela. She's a daughter of a wealthy businessman and a Catholic.

She has been banned from holding public office for 15 years due to selling off Venezuelan assets and having ties to a raid of an armory before an attack on a Mayor's house.

I don't know how she could not know about her banning since the papers were writing about it long before she ran in that primary.

[Marcus IM]

3. She did know she was banned. In several interviews rejected the SC. So she and her minions held their own (s)election.

Q-Anon/tRump tactics.

[Farmer-Rick]

4. Ahhh, ok

I was wondering. Thanks for the info.