The Venezuelan opposition seeks a political agreement with Maduro to guarantee the presidential elections

The Venezuelan oppositiongrouped in the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), said this Thursday that he is looking for a political agreement with the Maduro regime to guarantee presidential election fair and transparent plans planned for 2024.

The executive secretary of the PUD, Omar Barbozadeclared in a press conference that he is holding “serious” conversations with the Chavista dictatorship, of which he did not give details, and that he has the support of the international community.

“We promote a political agreement that gives guarantees to all parties, and I hope that it happens there, and many of the things that we are discussing do not need to be discussed, because there we reach agreements that resolve those uncertainties that may exist,” said the opponent.

The Venezuelan dictatorship and the opposition began a dialogue in Mexico in August 2021, which was interrupted two months later by decision of Chavismo, and which resumed in November 2022 without further progress.

Barboza also referred to the disqualifications that affect several opposition candidates in the internal primaries, in which Chavismo’s rival in the presidential elections will be chosen, and described them as unconstitutional.

Among those disabled are Henrique Capriles, María Corina Machado and Freddy Superlanowho can participate in the primaries, but not register with the electoral body as presidential candidates, since disqualification prevents them from holding public office.

The opponent assured that these disqualifications are “arbitrary and administrative”, but not constitutional, since none of those affected “is definitively condemned (in a) firm by any criminal decision.”

He added that the coalition will support the candidate who wins the primaries even if he is disqualified, and that if he is not allowed to register for the presidential elections, “that will be the time to make political decisions.”

The Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) reiterated this Thursday that its only plan is to hold the primaries in which the candidate of the coalition that will face Chavismo in the 2024 presidential elections will be chosen.

”We have only one plan, we are going to hold the primaries on October 22e”, he said Omar Barbozawho assured that it will be up to the regime to pay “the political cost to deny the people their right”, in case the holding of these elections is prevented.

He pointed out that, from the opposition, they do not rule out that, “through a judicial surprise”some “arbitrary” decision is made to prevent the execution of the October elections, but that, even if this happens, they will remain “on the path of seeking that unitary candidacy to register a single person as a presidential contender in 2024″.

”The political change that is pursued with the primary is a national emergency and this is what the vast majority of the people of Venezuela have understood, and we intend to achieve it through democratic, constitutional and electoral means,” said Barboza.

He expressed his support for the National Primary Commission (CNP), in charge of organizing the internal election, as well as the regional boards designated by this body and the 13 candidates registered for the race.

Furthermore, he insisted on the need for “a political agreement “that establishes the conditions so that the country’s major problems can be resolved peacefully.”

“We hope that there (in the political agreement) the conditions will emerge for the realization of some elections with guarantees for all parties,” said Barboza, who also reiterated the PUD’s support for the opposition negotiating delegation, which, he assured, “works every day in a low profile, as it should be.”

(With information from EFE)