According to the former president, “the Venezuelan government is removing candidacies that could cast a shadow on the current president.”
Former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) said this Sunday (January 28, 2024) that Venezuela “currently” has no opposition. He criticized the country's Supreme Court's decision to bar María Corina Machado, opposition leader against President Nicolás Maduro, from voting. He said the dish was “his,” referring to the Venezuelan leader.
According to Bolsonaro, the situation in Venezuela is linked to the “future” in Brazil. He said he had banned the opposition for 15 years, even though Maduro had shown signs of holding fair elections. He said the reason for Corina's ineligibility was “absurd” and that the country's government was “removing candidacies that could cast a shadow on the current president.”
The former president participated this Sunday (January 28, 2024) in “Super Live: Base Organization and Occupation of Spaces”, broadcast on the channel of Federal Deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro (PLSP). Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PLRJ) and Councilor Carlos Bolsonaro (RepublicanosRJ) also attended.
Regard:
Earlier, Bolsonaro said that Maduro had taken a step towards holding elections with printed ballots. “The opposition and Nicolás Maduro have decided to work together so that American sanctions can be eased in exchange for free and fair elections in Venezuela. Part of it has already been put into practice, in this referendum that we saw a few weeks ago and that was initiated by President Maduro. In this referendum, the vote was printed next to the electronic ballot box,” he said.
Watch (2 min 26 sec):
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.
“SUPER LIVE” FROM THE BOLSONARO CLAN
Bolsonaro explained during “Super Live: Base Organization and Occupation of Spaces” that he missed this “contact” with voters. The former president wore a blue Israeli soccer team Tshirt during the broadcast. He criticizes the stance of the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) on the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
His three children who participated in the live broadcast, Senator Flávio (PLRJ), Federal Deputy Eduardo (PLSP) and Councilor Carlos (RepublicanosRJ), wore plain shirts in the following colors: light gray, black and dark green, respectively.
The live broadcast featured more professional microphones and cameras than during Bolsonaro's presidency. There were frames that focused on who was speaking. But the relaxed style remained. There was only one table and a wooden background. A Brazilian flag hung rudimentarily on the piece of furniture with a rehearsed improvisational tone, a trademark of the former president.
Reproduction/YouTube Jair Bolsonaro January 28, 2024 In the pictures on the left. right: Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PLRJ), former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL), Federal Deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro (PLSP) and Rio de Janeiro City Councilor Carlos Bolsonaro (Republican)
The live recorded a maximum viewership of 470,960 spectators at the same time this Sunday (January 28th) at around 8:20 p.m. O Power360 recorded the audience in real time. Read the infographic below.
