Henrique Capriles, a zigzagging member of Venezuela's opposition. File photo.
Only two weeks before Venezuela’s opposition primaries, Justice First (PJ) party leader Henrique Capriles renounced his candidacy.
During a live broadcast on Sunday, October 8, Capriles announced his resignation from PJ’s candidacy for the Primaries. He reported that he would submit a letter to the National Primary Commission (CNP) on Monday.
It is no longer just the members of the CNP’s regional boards who resign due to disagreements with the organization and confrontations among participating political parties. Now, one of the main candidates is also withdrawing from the electoral race.
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Henrique Capriles did not provide further details regarding his decision despite mentioning the political disqualification that has weighed on him for six years.
“Six years ago, I was arbitrarily politically disqualified. We must facilitate an option that can reach the 2024 presidential race. To reach that great option that we need,” Capriles said in his statement.
Nuestro mensaje a todos los venezolanos pic.twitter.com/MTSg5oosZQ
— Henrique Capriles R. (@hcapriles) October 8, 2023
Capriles explained that the Justice First bases chose him as a candidate for the Primaries. So now, he “leaves in your hands a viable construction for 2024.”
“Tomorrow, I am going to submit my letter, and I will go out on the 22nd with my head held high, and on 2024,” he added.
Finally, the opposition far-right politician stated they must have a candidacy and not put personal interests above the general interest. At the same time, he urged Venezuelans to “put a grain of sand to bring progress and hope.”
The primary elections face several setbacks as it approaches. It is no longer just that they do not have defined voting centers, and the irregularities in the states are increasing. Still, the candidates are already choosing to withdraw from the elections.
Some believe that after Henrique Capriles retires, the person who will replace him will be Manuel Rosales, given that the governor of Zulia supported his candidacy months ago.
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This possibility will depend on the CNP, as Rosales is not registered as a candidate for the Primaries. Un Nuevo Tiempo did not register a candidate for the internal opposition process.
Luis Vicente León’s analysis
The director of the polling firm Datanalisis and opposition supporter, Luis Vicente León, spoke out after the resignation of Capriles, indicating that the former governor of Miranda state “assumed that the lifting of his disqualification is not going to happen.”
“It is not a matter of change in the internal vote. Although he was not the favorite, he would not be able to participate if he won. It would complicate the possibility of unity,” said León during a radio interview.
He added that although Capriles attacked the disqualifications and described them as unconstitutional, “he maintained his call to participate in primaries. However, he emphasized that the only route is to “support an electoral way” rejecting any call “for alternative means of struggle.”
Regarding who Capriles will support, León said that the former pre-candidate in the internal opposition elections left “open the support of the PJ members to any alternative candidate.” However, it is evident that his call “is not to support disqualified people, including María Corina Machado,” since it is contrary to his retirement argument.
(RedRadioVE) by Ana Perdigon with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SF
