The Venezuelan Supreme Court (TSJ) on Monday suspended “the consequences” of the outcome of the opposition presidential primaries, held just over a week ago, despite the electoral agreement signed with the government that allows parties to select their candidate accordingly to choose with internal regulations.
The decision could anger the United States, which this month revised some sanctions in return for a partial electoral deal agreed in Barbados.
The State Department said it will reimpose sanctions if President Nicolás Maduro’s government does not lift disqualifications of opposition candidates and release “wrongfully detained” political and US prisoners by the end of November.
The decision by the top court, described by opponents as an arm of the government, comes after Venezuela’s attorney general announced a primary investigation by the commission into the alleged crimes. Fraud, usurpation of electoral positions and money laundering, among others.
The opposition and the winner of the primaries, María Corina Machado, repeatedly emphasized that the event would be transparent and fair. The government has suspected fraud since the October 22 vote, which was organized without state support and in which more than 2.3 million voters participated, according to organizers.
Both the investigation and the TSJ verdict correspond to an appeal filed by José Brito, deputy of the National Assembly dominated by the party in power. Brito is not among the political organizations that participated in the opposition elections.
“The request for preventive protection is declared admissible and, accordingly, all consequences of the different stages of the electoral process carried out by the National Pre-Election Commission are suspended,” said the decision published by the Supreme Court on its website.
The Supreme Court’s electoral chamber demanded that the main committee provide the background to the process, including the composition of the committee, the minutes of the polling stations, the voters’ registers and the election protocols.
The commission must also take into account the involvement of candidates like Machado, who is barred from holding public office, in a decision that the opposition considers illegal.
The decision “temporarily suspends the primaries until the TSJ makes a substantive decision,” said José Vicente Haro, a lawyer and university professor. “The polling station needs time to make the decision because the decision was made after the elections. The appeal submitted should not have been allowed.
Following the TSJ decision, the United States called on Maduro and his government to fulfill their obligations to the opposition and vowed to “take action” if they fail to fulfill that promise, a State Department spokesperson said.
The government and the opposition signed an election agreement that not only stipulated that the presidential elections would take place in the second half of 2024, but also provided that each party could choose its candidate based on its internal rules, but banning opponents was not lifted. . including Machado. (Reuters).
Source: La Neta Neta
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
