Maduro officially announced as a presidential candidate - DW

The Venezuelan president shouted: “We will go to a new victory!” Nicolas MaduroThis is after the ruling party officially announced today, Saturday (03/16/2024), its candidacy for re-election for a third term. Who will he face? The opposition is at a crossroads after the exclusion of the candidate who might win the race.

More than four million members of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, headed by Maduro, decided “by acclamation” to nominate the 61-year-old president in the elections scheduled for July 28. “I accept the candidacy for president For the July 28 elections. “I accept that, I assume that, and with the support of the people we will achieve a new victory,” Maduro cried during a conference of the political group founded by the late former president Hugo Chavez (1999-2013).

He said, “Here there is only one destiny: popular victory. No matter what they do or what they say, they will never be able to defeat us.” The event was a formality. Maduro has been campaigning for weeks, and has doubled his public appearances. Until recently, this was an exception. Chavez's heir, they ruled Venezuela between them for a quarter of a century.

Main competitor, disqualified

First Vice President of the United Socialist Party, God gave poetryThe second-in-command of Chavismo handed over the banner of the formation to Maduro. “Despite all the adversities, (Maduro) managed to maintain peace in this country, practice politics, and defeat the oligarchy, not once but several times,” Cabello said, recalling that PSOE fighters supported in previous meetings that the President She is seeking re-election for a second consecutive time.

Thousands of supporters who gathered at Poledro de Caracas, the country's largest indoor venue, responded positively when asked if they approved of Maduro's candidacy “as the candidate of the United Socialist Party and the Bolivarian Revolution” for the July elections.

For its part, the opposition is seeking to identify a name that can be applied to it in the event of losing eligibility to hold public office. Maria Corina MachadoA favorite in opinion polls, the government accuses her of corruption and calling for a foreign invasion, which she denies. But the center-right candidate ruled out abandoning her candidacy. Machado swept the opposition primaries last October, and if he manages to participate, as opinion polls agree, he will defeat Maduro by a very large margin.

DZC (AFP, EFE)