In Venezuela, the presidential campaign ended on July 25, 2024. The two main candidates, the incumbent President Nicolas Maduro and the opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, mobilized their supporters one last time during rallies in Caracas. The outcome of the election on Sunday, July 28, is very uncertain. Independent polls give an advantage to the opposition, but Nicolas Maduro does not seem ready to give up power.
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Mobilization is one of the keys to Sunday’s vote in Venezuela. A high turnout could benefit the opposition, which ran an atypical campaign. Maria Corina Machado, a right-wing figure who is very energetic and rather radical in her positions, won the primaries but was declared ineligible. She was replaced last April by a total unknown, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, a soft-spoken former diplomat who has never attacked his opponent head-on. The call for reconciliation among Venezuelans has been at the center of my campaign ” he said recently, expressing confidence that he could win next Sunday’s election.
Nicolas Maduro warns of civil war
However, it remains to be seen whether the president Nicolas Maduro will accept his defeat if he fails. This is the great uncertainty that hangs over this election. A few days ago, the Chavista leader, in power for 11 years, let it be known that he did not intend to give up the reins of the country. If you don’t want Venezuela to fall into a bloodbath, a civil war, make sure we have the greatest possible victory. ” he told his supporters.
These remarks were strongly criticized, among others, by Brazilian President Lula, a traditional ally of Nicolas Maduro. Lulabut also his Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro and others leaders of the Latin American lefthave begun to distance themselves from the Venezuelan government and are demanding that the results be respected.
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These remarks provoked a strong reaction from the Venezuelan president, who criticized the electoral systems in Brazil, Colombia and the United States, adding that the Venezuelan system was the best in the world. A strong speech that contrasts with other positions taken by the Chavista camp. In an interview with the newspaper The CountryNicolas Maduro’s son wanted to be reassuring: if the opponent Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won the election next Sunday, the authorities would recognize the results.
Guarantees against fraud?
Hundreds of foreign observers will be present, but their number is obviously not enough to monitor the proper functioning of the vote. Brazil and Colombia have decided not to send observers to Venezuela. The Venezuelan opposition had denounced on Tuesday ” technical issues ” on the website of the National Electoral Council (CNE) which would have prevented it from accrediting its scrutineers for Sunday’s presidential election. But this problem was finally resolved, according to the Unitary Platform which was able to register more than 90,000 scrutineers which it considers essential to guarantee the smooth running of Sunday’s presidential election.
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