PSUV on María Corina Machado's New Scam: Candidate Substitution 10 Days Before Election

Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Vice President of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) Diosdado Cabello said that recent comments made by María Corina Machado on Sunday night “are a lie. It is another manipulation, another deception, another fraud of the opposition sector that insists on deceiving its own people,” he said at a press conference, insisting that her plans are not electoral.

Cabello explained that Machado did not properly register her movement Vente Venezuela as a political party. He added that she could have also registered her candidacy with the “personal initiative” option defined in the law, but she did not. Machado has even repeatedly said that over 2 million Venezuelans voted for her in the primaries, but she only needed approximately 1.1 million signatures for candidacy registration via personal initiative.

In a video posted on social media platforms, Machado pointed out that “on October 19, we spoke clearly. We did it in favor of change. We gave ourselves a mandate, and we will not allow them to betray it. It is not true that they can impose their terms on us by changing the rules, violating the constitution. The rules are very clear: we have until 10 days before July 28 to substitute a candidate, and the fight is fighting,” she claimed in an attempt to maintain hope that she or Corina Yoris will become presidential candidates.

During the weekly press conference of the PSUV National Directorate on Monday, April 1, Cabello expressed, “Fires, sabotages, they are the same. It is the same opposition. Perhaps you may see it more divided today than in previous times, but that doesn’t make it any less dangerous.” He made these statements in regards to recent suspicious acts reported in Venezuela, including a fire in a state bus company, Trans-Aragua, where 112 buses were destroyed, and another fire on an oncological clinic in Zulia state.

Concerning what he called Machado’s new scam, Cabello read Article 44 of the Organic Law of Electoral Processes, which states: “The electoral schedule shall define the periods for registration [of candidates]. Nominations filed outside the period established in the electoral schedule shall be considered extemporaneous and as not registered.”

During his televised program Con el Mazo Dando last week, Cabello hinted at this interpretation of the substitution of candidates. He read out Art. 64 of the same law. For many analysts, this was not a solid legal background. However, the reading of Art. 44 clarified the case in terms of extemporarily nominating candidates outside the nomination period, allowing the substitution of candidates only when an initial candidate has already been registered and validated by the electoral institution.

According to analysts, a revision of electoral jurisprudence since 2009, when the Organic Law of Electoral Processes was enacted, tends to support Deputy Cabello’s arguments in the sense that a candidate has never been substituted without first being admitted as a candidate by the National Electoral Council (CNE).

The PSUV deputy also stated that, in the ranks of the Bolivarian Revolution, they do not bend to media blackmail and will continue to move forward for justice. He also warned that the saboteurs belong to the same far-right opposition that promoted violence in 2014 and 2017.

Deputy Cabello added that those who intend to cause harm do not love Venezuela, which is why he called for unity, “for peace, tranquility, and harmony. I hope that these days [Holy Week] will serve many to reflect on this country’s peace.”

Regarding the destabilization promoted by extremists in previous years, he recalled the violence caused by terrorist groups. These groups murdered several people but were always defeated by the strength of Chavismo. “They burned people alive, they asked for military interventions in our country, they promoted and financed them. Every time the opposition has taken on an agenda of violence, we have defeated them,” Cabello said.

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Given the far right’s violent plans, Cabello urged the union of patriotic and revolutionary people to reflect on peace as well. Regarding the PSUV’s upcoming tasks, he said, “Permanent organization, review of all structures, evaluate those that have deficiencies, correct errors, and achieve victory on July 28.”

The far-right Unity Platform (PUD) registered a so-called cover candidate to secure a position in the presidential elections. They could later replace this candidate after the CNE extended the registration process for several hours after the March 25 deadline. The person chosen by the PUD was Edmundo González Urrutia, who joined the list of about 12 candidates aiming to participate in the July 28 presidential elections.

Despite many theories by government supporters, there is no clear explanation of why Machado’s replacement, Corina Yoris, is unable to register. Some government supporters argue that it resulted from far-right opposition infighting, yet Machado and Yoris insist there were government restrictions. According to many Chavistas, the lack of an official CNE position on the real nature of Yori’s non-registration adds opacity to the electoral process.

Despite the far-right opposition’s narrative, Cabello insists that a so-called cover candidate may only be replaced by someone who is already registered and admitted by CNE. He clarified that if a person was not nominated, they cannot become a substitute candidate. Otherwise, the CNE would have to open another registration process, something forbidden by Art. 44.

Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff

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