:quality(85)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/XQXUR6YD624KQ6R6NQCJHAA3RQ.jpg "The United States demanded that the Maduro dictatorship respect the right of all candidates to run for elections")
International pressure grows against the Maduro dictatorship to hold free elections in Venezuela
The United States has demanded that Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro respect the right of all candidates to run in the upcoming presidential elections on July 28. This comes after the National Electoral Council (CNE) prevented the registration of opposition member Corina Yoris.
“We are working with other members of the international community to guarantee that Venezuelans can participate in inclusive and competitive elections, and we urge Maduro’s representatives to allow all candidates to run,” said White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre.
The Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), the majority bloc of the Venezuelan opposition, attempted to register Corina Yoris as its presidential candidate after the disqualification of María Corina Machado. However, electoral authorities also prevented Yoris from being registered.
The United States is committed to maintaining the relief of sanctions if the Maduro regime upholds the commitments made in the agreed electoral roadmap in Barbados. Last October, an agreement was signed between the Unitary Platform and representatives of Chavismo to facilitate clean elections, leading to some sanctions being relaxed.
In addition to the issues surrounding the registration of candidates, there have been concerns raised about the detention of several opposition party members. The whereabouts of Emill Brandt, Henry Alviarez, and Dignora Hernández, who have been detained in the last two months, are unknown.
Chavismo’s Foreign Minister Yvan Gil warned that the regime will make important decisions about its relationship with the European Union after the bloc expressed concerns about arbitrary arrests of opponents during the electoral process.
María Corina Machado has reiterated that her candidate for the presidency of Venezuela is Corina Yoris. The EU has also expressed deep concern about the irregular process preventing some parties from registering their presidential candidates.
The EU has called for respect for due process and the protection of detainees, emphasizing the importance of political and civil rights being respected for authentic elections to take place. The community executive supports the efforts and democratic commitment of the democratic forces of Venezuela and civil society amidst the ongoing challenges in the country.