Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has apparently retreated from her radical and confrontational position against the Venezuelan government, saying that she was ready to sit down and talk with President Nicolás Maduro.
In an interview for the French outlet France24, Machado stated that it would be “useful” to meet with President Nicolás Maduro before the elections, thus recognizing his legitimacy as head of state.
According to Venezuelan analysts, the only relevant parts of the interview are the last two statements in which Machado showed her willingness to sit with a president whose legitimacy she has continuously refused to recognize. The rest of the interview, however, was characterized by Machado’s usual far-right analysis of Venezuela’s economic reality and President Maduro’s leadership.
“This would certainly be useful, even before the elections… I am more than willing to do it,” she said when asked about a possible meeting with President Maduro.
These comments of the leader of Vente Venezuela is a departure from her usual position of non-recognition of President Maduro. It comes in a context in which a procedure established by the Venezuelan Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) began to “seek the review” of the political disqualifications issued by the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic (CGR).
It has been established that each of the disqualified politicians will have to personally go to the Political-Administrative Chamber of the TSJ to file an appeal against the disqualification measure and request precautionary protection.
To have their disqualifications reviewed, the affected politicians will have a time window between December 1 and December 15 to submit their appeals. Subsequently, the Chamber will rule on the admission of the claim and of the protection requested.
Each of the applicants for the lifting of the disqualifications has to undertake oaths to respect the Constitution, “to honor and defend the country,” abide by the TSJ decision “that emanates from this resource,” and refuse to undertake any form of violence in the political arena.
Despite the measure, so far, María Corina Machado has not appeared before the TSJ to present an appeal against her disqualification. Similarly, another disqualified politcian, Freddy Superlano, has said that he will wait to see if the president of Vente Venezuela attends the process, and will plan his actions accordingly.
On Wednesday, December 6, Machado stated that she was not planning to go to the TSJ because, allegedly, she was not officially notified of the disqualification measure.
“I have not committed any crime, any misdemeanor, and there is no act of the Comptroller’s Office, a procedure of the Comptroller’s Office, a decision of the Comptroller’s Office, nor have I been notified,” declared Machado at a press conference, as reported by France24. “Therefore, how can something be appealed if it does not exist? It is absolutely non-existent.”
(RedRadioVE) by Ana Perdigón, with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL
Ana Perdigón
- October 11, 2024