Venezuela: Top Court Upholds Election Ban on Leading Opposition Candidate

Facts

• Venezuela's Supreme Tribunal of Justice has dismissed opposition leader María Corina Machado's appeal challenging her 15-year election ban first announced by the government of Nicolás Maduro in June 2023.¹
• Furthermore, the court also upheld findings that Machado had supported the country's 'criminal embargo,' seized funds from foreign banks, and 'stripped the businesses and wealth of the Venezuelan people.'²
• Following Friday's ruling, which came hours after three of her allies were arrested on alleged conspiracy charges, Machado said that her 'fight to conquer democracy through free and fair elections' isn't over.³
• In addition, the US on Saturday said that it's reviewing its sanctions policy on Venezuela based on the judgment, which Washington claims is inconsistent with Maduro's commitment 'to hold a competitive Venezuelan presidential election in 2024' under the Barbados Agreement.⁴
• A former lawmaker affiliated with the Vente Venezuela party, Machado had secured more than 90% of the votes in the opposition's independently conducted presidential primary last October.⁵
• Meanwhile, the court overturned opposition leaders Leocenis García and Richard Mardo's election ban in compliance with 'the Constitution, the laws in force, and within the framework of the Barbados Agreement.'⁶

Sources: ¹FOX News, ²Agenzia Nova, ³Al Jazeera, ⁴United States Department of State, ⁵Washington Post and ⁶teleSUR English.

Narratives

• Republican narrative, as provided by Voz Media. Time after time, Nicolás Maduro has shown that his regime will never hold fair presidential elections. Yet, the Biden administration has insisted on easing sanctions and releasing prisoners to please Caracas. As the leader of the free world, the US must reestablish sanctions and completely cut ties with Venezuela's dictatorship.
• Democratic narrative, as provided by Bloomberg. Some sanctions may be reinstated on Venezuela, likely related to gold exports, but the US must refrain from pushing too hard so as to retain some leeway until a date for the presidential vote is set. While sanctions have so far proven to be ineffective, a moderate approach has allowed the return of undocumented migrants to Venezuela while helping keep oil prices in check.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Venezuelanalysis. It's a matter of justice that Machado has been banned from holding office for the next 15 years, since the US-backed far-right politician had endorsed economic sanctions and a foreign military intervention to topple Maduro's legitimate government. Under the Barbados Agreement, prospective candidates must commit to defending Venezuela's sovereignty, which she has certainly failed to do.

Predictions