The Venezuelan opposition organizes its own primaries to try to defeat Nicolás Maduro

The main groups of Venezuelan opposition they will organize their own presidential primaries independent of the electoral authority when they select a candidate to try to defeat the president Nicolas Maduro next year. The decision to sideline the electoral body means the opposition will have to finance the process itself and secure access to hundreds of polling stations across the country by October. They will also have to rely on paper ballots instead of election machines for their candidate selection.

Some of the main opposition contenders, such as María Corina Machado, expressed concern that the opposition would allow government participation, fearing it would interfere in the process or abuse its access to voter identities. Machado asked for “ballots” to guarantee the secrecy of the vote.

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Candidates have until June 23 to register and participate in the primaries. The opposition hopes to end more than two decades of socialist rule in the Caribbean country.

The main opposition contender and two-time presidential candidate, Enrique CaprilesHe said he supported the commission’s decision and planned to participate in the vote.

The decision came after the head of Venezuela’s electoral council and several of his officials linked to the ruling party resigned on Thursday. The opposition feared that this could delay the process of organizing the election, as the Maduro government begins the process of selecting replacements.

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“The resignation of various rectors of the CNE and their renewal, as outlined, complicates the scenario”said the president of the opposition primary commission, jesus casal, at a press conference in Caracas. “We will move forward with the organization of a self-managed primary.”

“The opposition is designing strategies to collect funds to carry out the election, including through raffles and donations from Venezuelans abroad,” Casal said.