Logo of the National Electoral Council. Photo: Venezuela Analysis.
Four new opposition candidates registered their candidacy for Venezuela’s presidential elections scheduled for July 28, 2024.
The first to register this Sunday, March 24, was the evangelical pastor Javier Bertucci. He noted his confidence in the transparency and impartiality of the CNE.
This will be the second time that Bertucci runs for the presidency of Venezuela. His campaign is oriented around reconciling disparate Venezuelans and constructing a nation in which peace and reconciliation reign.
“You cannot, by wanting to change the captain of a ship, sink it,” said Bertucci. “That is the irrational action that I have seen in some leaders with extremist beliefs…”
El Conde encourages voter participation
The second candidacy registered was that of comedian Benjamín Rausseo, also known as El Conde, who entered the electoral race with the support of the political party National Democratic Confederation (Conde).
In a speech, Rausseo called on all Venezuelans to participate in the upcoming electoral process and called on the CNE to increase the number of voting machines so that Venezuelans can register or update their data in the Permanent Electoral Registry (REP).
“Venezuela does not want war between brothers,” he said. “Let’s take advantage of this great opportunity to express ourselves through votes.”
Likewise, he asked his opponents to campaign without insults and bans. El Conde defended free enterprise as a mechanism to achieve “a country of owners, not of beggars.”
Constructive election campaign
Also on Sunday, the political party Solutions for Venezuela nominated Claudio Fermín before the National Electoral Council (CNE). Thus, Fermín became the third candidate presented by opposition forces not belonging to the far-right Unitary Platform (PUD).
When presenting his candidacy, Fermín said that he would carry out a constructive electoral campaign: “In the name of Soluciones por Venezuela, I commit to the country to carry out a respectful electoral campaign, an electoral campaign that takes advantage of these very short four months with proposals, pointing out alternatives, contributing with solutions.”
A different opposition
The fourth candidate who registered this Sunday was Luis Ratti. In his speech before the CNE, he highlighted that his candidacy embodies a different type of opposition which does not agree with the calls for invasion or the imposition of sanctions against Venezuela. The opposition candidate repudiated those politicians within the opposition who have refused to defend Venezuela’s land and sovereignty and still intend to run for the elections on July 28.
“I believe that those who did not participate in the consultative referendum for the defense of our Essequibo territory do not have the morals to present a presidential candidate,” said Ratti. “It is not fair that if they worked against the defense of Venezuelan territory, now they want to come and participate in elections and say that they want is good for Venezuela.”
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Unitary Platform requests an extension
Also on Sunday, the Unitary Platform requested that the CNE extend, by three days, the period for nomination of candidates for the presidential elections.
Through its social media accounts, the far-right organization reiterated its failure to register online the candidacy of Corina Yoris, who will replace María Corina Machado, and requested an extension after not receiving any response from CNE officials about an alleged technical issue.
“We send public communication to the CNE and to all the Venezuelan people, because we have not received any response, because the application system remains closed,” the Unitary Platform wrote on social media. In the letter, they also requested that the schedule for the presidential elections be published in the Electoral Gazette.
Corina Yoris’ dual nationality
This Sunday, PSUV Deputy Iris Varela reported that Corina Yoris will not be able to register for the presidential elections because she holds dual citizenship: Uruguayan and Venezuelan. The Chavista parliamentarian explained on social media that, given this situation and per Article 41 of the Constitution, her registration with the CNE is not possible.
Subsequently, Yoris posted on social media a letter allegedly signed by Uruguayan deputy Pablo Viana and explaining how Uruguayan citizenship can be obtained. However, the letter and the post did not confront the issue of Yoris’ dual citizenship.
(Últimas Noticias) by Gustavo Rangel with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL
