Court confirmed on Friday (January 26) political obstruction of María Corina Machado; is accused of corruption
The TSJ (Supreme Court of Venezuela) on Friday (January 26, 2024) banned opposition leader María Corina Machado, 56, from holding public office for the next 15 years.
The decision prevents Corina from running in the presidential elections in the second half of 2024 Main opponent of President Nicolás Maduro. He won the opposition primaries in October 2023 and faced Maduro in this year's election.
The court's decision confirmed the candidate's political obstruction imposed by Venezuela's chief auditor in June 2023. Corina, who was an MP from 2011 to 2014, appealed to the court in December to review the ruling. According to the Venezuelan press, the unfavorable decision for politics was expected since the Supreme Court is linked to Chavismo Maduro's political movement that originated with Hugo Chávez, who ruled Venezuela from 1999 to 2013.
The 60yearold President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, heads an autocratic regime with no guarantees for basic freedoms. For example, it keeps people in prison for “political crimes.”
There are also limitations described in OAS (Organization of American States) reports on the “illegitimate appointment” of the National Electoral Council by an illegitimate National Assembly and the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights (as of October 2022, November 2022 and March 2023).
UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS
Venezuela's Supreme Court deemed the former congresswoman's complaint “unfounded.” The TSJ's politicaladministrative chamber confirmed the arguments of Venezuela's chief auditor, who accused him of being involved in a “corruption plot” led by former selfproclaimed interim president of Venezuela Juan Guaidó, which included calls for sanctions against the country . Here is the full decision (PDF 7 MB).
According to the document:
- María Corina Machado acted in consultation with Juan Guaidó. The politician is called a “usurper”;
- The policy called for the use of sanctions and economic blockades that “harmed Venezuelan health”;
- the blockade demanded by Corina together with Guaidó was responsible for the diversion of $4 billion from the country that would have been held up in the international banking system;
- Because of the diversion, the country would not have been able to purchase vaccines for children, insulin doses and antiretroviral drugs to treat AIDS patients.
Venezuela's Supreme Court also holds Corina responsible for “administrative irregularities” allegedly committed during her term as a deputy. The opposition leader denies all allegations.
In 2015, Maduro's opponent had already been banned for a year because he attended a meeting of the OAS (Organization of American States) “as an alternative ambassador” for Panama. At the time, she denounced alleged human rights violations during protests against Maduro. The information comes from AFP.
BARBADOS AGREEMENT
María Corina Machado explained that the Venezuelan Supreme Court's decision was an opportunity for the president's regime to terminate the Barbados Agreement.
“Maduro and his criminal system have chosen the worst path for themselves: fraudulent elections,” he said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday (January 26).
The Barbados Agreement is a series of pacts signed by the Venezuelan government and the country's opposition to promote clean and fair elections in 2024. It was signed on October 17, 2023 in Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados, in the presence of the delegations from the following countries:
- Norway;
- Russia;
- Netherlands;
- Colombia;
- Mexico;
- US;
- Barbados.
The agreement is the result of dialogues promoted by several countries, including Brazil.
An agreement has been concluded between the government and the opposition that makes it possible to check ineligibility for public office. That agreement provided that any person deemed ineligible had until December 15 to appeal the measure to the TSJ. In this regard, Corina appealed to the court in December.
COUNTRIES AND UNITS CRITICIZE DECISION
After the former MP's appeal was rejected, the OAS published a statement this Sunday (January 28) criticizing Corina's exclusion from this year's elections. He called the country a “dictatorship” and said that recent events in Venezuela “make it clear” that the current government has no intention of holding “clean and transparent” elections. Here is the full text (PDF 412 kB).
“The leadership of María Corina Machado is irreplaceable, as is any leadership that arises from the beliefs and interests of the people. It would be pathetic and repugnant if anyone tried to occupy this place while ignoring the undeniable public statement made in the country during the primary elections,” the OAS said.
The organization classified Corina's ban as a “dictatorial logic of persecution and violation of the political rights of citizens.” [venezuelanos]“. However, he explained that this move was “predictable” given the “context” of Venezuela.
“We must never believe that this dictatorship will fulfill the agreements and commitments made. Violations have always occurred most frequently,” the OAS explained.
The United States said it was reviewing its sanctions policy against Venezuela. When signing the agreement in Barbados, the US warned the country that it could revoke licenses for transactions if the agreed obligations were not met.
On Saturday (January 27), other countries such as Argentina, Uruguay and Ecuador also condemned the decision of Venezuela's Supreme Court, which confirmed the ineligibility of Maduro's main opponent.
Read the demonstrations below:
The State Department said it was monitoring the situation in Venezuela with “concern.” He regretted the decision to veto Corina. Read the full text (PDF 157 kB).
The Foreign Ministry said the Venezuelan court's decision was contrary to the Barbados Agreement. Here is the full text (PDF 271 kB).
The Paraguayan government expressed “concern” about the electoral process in Venezuela and, without mentioning Corina by name, mentioned the need to “carry out free, transparent presidential elections with the participation of all candidates.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility rejected the Supreme Court's decision against Maduro's opponents.
The Idea Group (Democratic Initiative of Spain and America), made up of 37 former presidents of the countries that make up the organization, condemned Corina's veto. They also announced that they recognized his political leadership in the Venezuelan elections. Here is the full letter (PDF 920 kB).
Read the list of signatories:
- Mario Abdo, former president of Paraguay;
- Óscar Arias, former president of Costa Rica;
- José Maria Aznar, former president of Spain;
- Nicolás Ardito, former president of Panama;
- Felipe Calderón, former president of Mexico;
- Rafael Angel Calderón, former president of Costa Rica;
- Laura Chinchilla, former president of Costa Rica;
- Alfredo Cristiani, former president of El Salvador;
- Iván Duque, former president of Colombia;
- Vicente Fox, former president of Mexico;
- Federico Franco, former president of Paraguay;
- Eduardo Frei, former president of Chile;
- Lucio Gutiérrez, former president of Ecuador;
- Osvaldo Hurtado, former president of Ecuador;
- Luis Alberto Lacalle, former president of Uruguay;
- Guilherme Lasso, former president of Ecuador;
- Carlos Mesa, former president of Bolivia;
- Ernesto Férez, former president of Panama;
- Mauricio Macri, former president of Argentina;
- Jamil Mahuad, former president of Ecuador;
- Lenin Moreno, former president of Ecuador;
- Mireya Moscoso, former president of Panama;
- Andrés Pastrana, former president of Colombia;
- Sebastián Piñera, former president of Chile;
- Jorge Tugo, former president of Bolivia;
- Miguel Ángel, former president of Costa Rica;
- Luis Guillermo, former president of Costa Rica;
- Álvaro Uribe, former president of Colombia;
- Juan Carlos, former president of Paraguay.
LULA AND MADURO
O Power360 contacted the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs this Sunday (January 28, 2024) by email, telephone and message via WhatsApp to know the official position of the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) on the decision of the Supreme Court of Venezuela, which María made the verdict Corina Machado is not eligible to play for 15 years. Itamaraty confirmed receipt of the request. However, he did not provide any comment till the publication of this report. The room remains open.
Lula is a historic ally of Maduro. In May last year, the Venezuelan leader was in Brazil and was the only leader of the twelve countries invited to the meeting with the presidents of South American countries to hold a bilateral meeting with the PT member outside the event. He was received with the honors of the head of state.
Maduro previously visited Brazil in 2015 to attend the inauguration of former President Dilma Rousseff (PT). In 2019, he was banned from entering the country by former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) he broke off relations with his neighbor. However, on December 30, 2022, Bolsonaro himself revoked the decree that barred members of the Maduro government from entering Brazilian territory.
Since taking office, Lula has resumed diplomatic relations with Venezuela. In January, the government reopened the Brazilian embassy in Caracas, Venezuela's capital. Special presidential adviser for international affairs Celso Amorim visited the city in March and met with Maduro and members of the opposition. At the time, he said he saw a “democracypromoting climate.”
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