The Supreme Court in Venezuela has overturned the results of the opposition’s presidential primary. Former MP María Corina Machado recently emerged as the presidential candidate for next year’s vote. The court has now upheld an election challenge due to alleged “irregularities” in the internal opposition process, the Electoral Chamber of the Supreme Court (TSJ) announced yesterday.
The opposition electoral commission has three days to submit “a report” specifying “the mechanism for storing the electoral materials and the designated location,” the TSJ said. It initially remained unclear whether the court’s order would annul Machado’s election. The opposition did not immediately comment on the decision.
Corruption, poverty, violence: country in crisis
After the election, the public prosecutor’s office initiated investigations into electoral fraud against the opposition because the government opponents had conducted the primaries themselves instead of having them organized by the state electoral authority. It is also unclear whether the candidate can actually run in the presidential election. Because of alleged irregularities during her time as a member of parliament, she was banned from holding public office for 15 years. The authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro is taking tough action against government opponents.
Venezuela has been in a serious crisis for years. Economically, the once rich country suffers from mismanagement, corruption and sanctions. According to the UN, more than seven million people have left Venezuela in recent years because of poverty and violence.
