From left to right: Freddy Superlano, María Corina Machado, and Enrique Capriles, three Venezuelan opposition politicians with political bans aspiring for the presidency. Photo: RedRadioVE.
The Venezuelan opposition is currently making preparations to conduct primary elections aimed at selecting a unified candidate for the forthcoming presidential elections in 2024. However, three of the potential candidates within the opposition have been disqualified from holding public office as decreed by the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic. The individuals affected by the ban include María Corina Machado, Freddy Superlano, and Henrique Capriles, who, despite being aware of their disqualification, have proceeded to register as pre-candidates for the opposition primaries.
However, due to their disqualification, it is important to note that if any of them were to emerge as the winner of the opposition primaries, they would be unable to subsequently register with the National Electoral Council (CNE).
Reasons for the candidates’ disqualification
Henrique Capriles
The disqualification of Capriles of the Primero Justicia (PJ) party dates back to 2017, when the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic (CGR) imposed a ban on him due to his involvement in multiple criminal activities.
According to the findings of the CGR, during Henrique Capriles’ tenure as governor of Miranda state, he failed to submit proposed budget legislation for the fiscal year 2013 to the Legislative Council of the state, thereby demonstrating a lapse in both political and legal responsibilities.
Additionally, he faced accusations of engaging in unauthorized international agreements with foreign agencies without the necessary authorization from the Venezuelan government. Furthermore, it was alleged that he entered into contracts on behalf of the Miranda state government without adhering to the prescribed regulations.
URGENTE: Informo al país y la opinión pública internacional que se me está notificando en este momento de una INHABILITACIÓN por 15 años
— Henrique Capriles R. (@hcapriles) April 7, 2017
The CGR issued the ban after the Venezuelan government ratified a law to combat corruption, which came into effect following the end of Capriles’ term as governor.
María Corina Machado
In 2014, Maria Machado, the leader of the Vente Venezuela party, while serving as a member of the National Assembly, was disqualified due to her acceptance of the position of “alternate ambassador” to the Organization of American States (OAS) on behalf of the government of Panama.
In her speech to the OAS, Machado called for the application of the Inter-American Democratic Charter to Venezuela. Since Venezuelan law prohibits an elected public official from holding another public office simultaneously (even if circumstantial), she lost her National Assembly seat and parliamentary immunity.
“In her lust for the limelight and her greed to be in the international spotlight, María Corina Machado made a serious political mistake, an unnecessary blunder, although she had assumed at that time that nothing would happen and that her actions would be tolerated,” explained Franco Vielma, sociologist and researcher with the Venezuelan independent media outlet Misión Verdad.
Por su ansia de protagonismo y la necesidad de colocarse frente a los reflectores internacionales, MCM cometió un error político grave, una torpeza innecesaria. Aunque ella presumía entonces que nada pasaría y que ello sería tolerado.
— FRANCO VIELMA (@franco_vielma) June 29, 2023
Freddy Superlano
The Voluntad Popular politician registered for the opposition primaries as an unexpected contender, following Juan Guaidó’s withdrawal from the race and flight to the United States after recognizing his lack of popular support. Under these circumstances, it appears that the party’s most viable option was Freddy Superlano, despite his disqualification from holding public office.
In November 2021, the Electoral Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) implemented a precautionary measure filed by another opposition politician, Adolfo Superlano (no relation of Freddy Superlano), for irregularities linked to the gubernatorial elections in Barinas state.
Sala Electoral del TSJ ordena al CNE suspender los procedimientos vinculados a la totalización, adjudicación y proclamación de los candidatos a Gobernador de Barinas https://t.co/CbWp57R2U9 pic.twitter.com/WiFxst5j2d
— TSJ Venezuela (@TSJ_Venezuela) November 29, 2021
During the course of the election, the candidacy of Freddy Superlano was invalidated by the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), which also imposed a ban on his eligibility for public office. The ruling, issued while the vote counting process was underway, consequently necessitated a rerun of the governorship election in January 2022.
These opposition politicians, despite their political disqualification, have chosen to register as pre-candidates for the opposition primaries. It is likely that they may later exploit their disqualification as a narrative of supposed “persecution” orchestrated by the government of President Nicolás Maduro. However, it is important to note that if any of them were to emerge as the winner of the opposition primaries, they would be unable to proceed with registering as a presidential candidate with the CNE. In such a scenario, they might assert that the Venezuelan government is intentionally impeding their participation in the presidential elections. However, the reality remains that their current disqualification status prohibits them from engaging in any electoral process until the ban is lifted or its designated period expires.
(RedRadioVE) by Ana Perdigón
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/KZ/BLA
