Venezuela's Maduro vows tranquility and negotiations post-July 28 vote
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In the heart of Mexico City, Mexican president Nicolás Maduro has promised an all-inclusive dialogue with every facet of Venezuelan society post the upcoming presidential election on July 28.
"Venezuela transcends that stubborn right-wing, it is home to resilient sectors that have thrived amidst the tumultuous years of struggle," Maduro proclaimed during his weekly broadcast. "There exists a new Venezuela, defined by a new identity, a stronger resolve, an innovative spirit... and I will extend an invitation to them to engage in the grandest dialogue ever held, in the name of peace, stability, and economic growth."
Political tensions in Venezuela have long plagued the nation. Maduro has consistently advocated dialogue as the solution, emphasizing cross-sectoral involvement with political players and civil society representatives following the July 28 poll.
Venezuela's past electoral processes have been tainted by post-election chaos; the hardline opposition routinely dismissed the results as "manipulated," erupting into violent protests to flip the outcome.
As Maduro encourages dialogue, opposition leader María Corina Machado remains on the campaign trail. Her primary contender, the Democratic Unitary Platform's Edmundo González Urrutia, tends to shy away from the campaign trail, mostly confined to media interviews.
Machado, whose political participation was upheld by the Venezuelan Supreme Court in January, assumes a de facto position, organizing political rallies across the country in support of González. Wealthy by birth, Machado has historically relied on extremist rhetoric, rallying for coup attempts and economic sanctions against the country.
TeleSUR journalist Madelein García recently unearthed a 2018 letter from Machado to then Argentine President Mauricio Macri and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, imploring their support to oust Maduro from power under the guise of the "responsibility to protect," a concept often championed by interventionist political figures and scholars to justify covert invasions of sovereign nations.
Machado's petition to Netanyahu elicited sharp criticism on social media. Netanyahu faces heavy opposition over his role in the ongoing genocidal campaign against the Palestinian people in Gaza. The International Criminal Court prosecutor recently petitioned the court to arrest Netanyahu for evidence suggesting he has committed crimes against humanity.
On the flipside, the Maduro administration has vehemently criticized ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza, expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people.
In contrast, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, led by top Chavista Diosdado Cabello, gathered for a massive rally in the 23 de Enero neighborhood of Caracas, spearheaded by the Panal 2021 Commune.
Maduro, seeking a third term in the upcoming election, recently boasted positive economic indicators while visiting Ciudad Bolívar in eastern Venezuela, asserting the country has experienced 11 consecutive quarters of economic growth despite U.S. sanctions.
Despite the return of U.S economic sanctions, Venezuela's economy has displayed growth, with inflation now under control, as Maduro reported.
A recent poll by the firm Ideadatos showed Maduro with 52.1 percent support, while González Urrutia earned 21.6 percent. However, opinion polling in Venezuela has historically proven unreliable.
The July 28 presidential election includes a total of 10 candidates, with outsiders such as Antonio Ecarri and Benjamin Rausseo aiming to capture undecided voters.
On Tuesday, the Venezuelan National Electoral Council rescinded its invitation for the European Union to send an observation mission to the July 28 vote. The electoral authority cited the EU's continued policy of sanctions against the South American nation as the reason for their decision. Despite this, the council expressed a willingness to invite a number of multilateral bodies, including CELAC, the African Union, CARICOM, and the Carter Center.
Edited by Ricardo Vaz, reporting from Caracas
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The Venezuelan political landscape heading into the electoral processes remains deeply fragmented and affected by institutional struggles. However, the May 25, 2025 legislative and gubernatorial elections (not a direct presidential vote) remain crucial to the current power dynamics.
Nicolás Maduro, who assumed the presidency for a third term in January 2025 amid accusations of election fraud, confronts allegations of a "repressive drift," including post-election crackdowns on dissent.
María Corina Machado, though disqualified from the 2024 race, maintains symbolic significance within the opposition. Despite government obstacles, including the refusal to recognize her substitute candidate, the opposition has persevered electorally.
Edmundo González Urrutia emerged as the opposition's alternative candidate after Machado's disqualification.
The Simón Bolívar Law, which introduces new protections such as grassroots candidate selection and enhanced post-vote verification processes, aims to address transparency concerns. However, persistent issues include restricted international observation, arbitrary disqualifications, and abuses of state institutions to influence the electoral field.
International influencers include the United States, which imposes oil sanctions post-2024 election and risks destabilizing the situation. The European Union has a limited role in election observation and is likely to be critical of perceived democratic backsliding.
Venezuela's ongoing economic collapse (characterized by hyperinflation and fuel shortages) and institutional degradation continue to pose significant challenges for the government. The government's reliance on oil revenues, now hampered by sanctions, complicates Maduro's efforts to revive the economy.
- The Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, despite being disqualified for the 2024 race, continues to hold symbolic significance within Venezuelan politics.
- Likewise, the Democratic Unitary Platform's Edmundo González Urrutia, who emerged as the opposition's alternative candidate after Machado's disqualification, tends to shy away from the campaign trail.
- Venezuela's political landscape, as we move towards the May 25, 2025 legislative and gubernatorial elections, remains deeply fragmented and affected by institutional struggles.
- The ongoing Venezuelan crisis, marked by war-and-conflicts, crime-and-justice, general-news, accidents, sports, and instability, has resulted in a significant economic collapse characterized by hyperinflation and fuel shortages.
- The Venezuelan political landscape is influenced by international policy-and-legislation, with the United States imposing oil sanctions post-2024 election, potentially contributing to instability.
- In the midst of these challenges, the Maduro administration has extended an invitation to all sectors of Venezuelan society to engage in a grand dialogue, aiming for peace, stability, and economic growth.
