As reported by Al Jazeera on March 6, 2024, and CNN en Español on March 5, 2024, the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela has set July 28 as the date for the presidential elections. It is expected that President Nicolás Maduro will run again, possibly without a strong contender. The CNE has also presented a timetable for the elections, including activities such as updating the Electoral Registry, candidate nominations, and the electoral campaign.
The agreement signed in Barbados last October between Maduro's government and the opposition established the holding of free and fair elections in 2024, with the presence of international observers. However, in January, Venezuela's Supreme Court upheld a ban preventing popular opposition presidential candidate from running in the elections. The prematurely presidential election in July 2024 means that all independent presidential candidates must be registered with the electoral office by March 25, 2024. This effectively means that they can no longer submit their signatures on time. This decision has sparked controversy and raised concerns about the legitimacy of the electoral process.
The United States government, which supports some factions of the opposition, has imposed sanctions on Caracas in response to Machado's ban, further straining relations between the two countries. Additionally, the chosen election date, July 28, coincides with the birthday of the late President Hugo Chávez, which could have symbolic implications for the electoral outcome.
The presidential elections in Venezuela, scheduled for the second half of 2024, are part of the Barbados Accords, although they break with the established tradition of being held on the first Sunday of December. The political and economic situation in Venezuela continues to attract international attention, particularly due to tensions between Maduro's government and the opposition, as well as the repercussions of political decisions on the Venezuelan population and the international community.
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