In recent months, Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro has shown his lack of interest in relinquishing power by aggressively campaigning against the opposition. This is evident in the regime’s veto of the candidacy of María Corina Machado and her replacement Corina Yoris. In response, the majority opposition appointed former diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia as its representative. Although this appointment may not carry much weight, it has received support from those seeking to remove Chavismo from power.
However, just two months before the election, another obstacle to the electoral process arose when the government withdrew an invitation to the EU to visit Venezuela. The National Electoral Council (CNE) cited EU sanctions against Chavista officials as the reason for their decision. The EU expressed regret over this move and called for its reconsideration, but the CNE defended its decision, accusing the EU of being biased and aggressive.
González Urrutia’s campaign command, supported by the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), demanded that the decision to cancel the EU’s invitation be reversed. Political analyst José Carrasquero emphasized that the CNE does not have authority to interfere in Venezuela’s foreign policy. The EU criticized the CNE’s decision, stating that it violated the Barbados Agreement.
Despite these setbacks, it is clear that Maduro will continue to use all his resources to tailor the election to his advantage. The opposition is preparing for challenges ahead and working on ensuring electoral guarantees through audits of