Venezuela: National Electoral Council rejects US accusations about elections

The National Electoral Council (CNE), one of Venezuela's five independent powers, responsible for ensuring the transparency of electoral processes in the country, rejected the United States' accusations against the candidate registration process for the country's presidential elections.

Through a statement published on Xthe agency reported that “Venezuela categorically rejects the US State Department’s insolent and false questions about the CNE, with the aim of discrediting one of the most solid institutions of Venezuela’s robust democracy.”

According to the statement, “Venezuelan democracy is supported by a series of very advanced pillars, including its electoral system, which has demonstrated over the years the broadest standards of professionalism and security.” The text also says that Venezuela's electoral system contrasts with that used in the United States, “which is obsolete and inefficient, which cedes its powers to a well-known North American television network, incapable of processing and issuing accurate and reliable results accepted by all voters.”

The CNE also reported in the statement that on July 28th, “Venezuelans will elect their president from a total of 13 registered candidates, admitted by 37 organizations and political parties, a fabulous demonstration of political and ideological diversity of the country's political offer” .

Understand the case

A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said Tuesday that the United States is deeply concerned that opposition candidate Corina Yoris is not allowed to register for Venezuela's July elections. and urged President Nicolás Maduro to allow all candidates to run against him in the July presidential elections.

The spokesperson added that the United States remains “committed to sanctions relief” for OPEC member Venezuela if Maduro upholds his election commitments that led to sanctions relief in the past.

Also on Tuesday, the CNE reported that a major Venezuelan opposition group had registered a candidate for the country's presidential elections. Edmundo Gonzalez, a former ambassador, was signed up to the Democratic Unity group, three sources told Reuters, to fill the party's seat as a possible replacement after the winner of the opposition primaries, María Corina Machado, and her alternate, Corina Yoris , were unable to register.

Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT), one of the political parties that had supported Machado, decided, at the last minute, to register its leader, the governor of Zulia state, Manuel Rosales, who did not participate in the primaries on Wednesday (27). Rosales said he is willing to give up his place at the polls to a candidate from the Unitary Platform, also from the opposition, amid uncertainty about who will carry the opposition flag in the July dispute against President Nicolás Maduro.