The campaign for Venezuela’s opposition primaries, scheduled for October 22nd, kicked off this Tuesday.
These primaries will determine the candidate to challenge the ruling chavismo in the 2024 presidential elections.
The commencement comes without significant promotional events announced and amidst concerns about a legal challenge seeking the suspension of the process.
Out of the 13 contenders, only five have disclosed planned activities for the day.
Notably, Henrique Capriles, a two-time presidential candidate, initiated the two-month countdown with a press conference in Caracas.
Meanwhile, former deputy Carlos Prosperi is set to head an oath-taking event for his campaign team, which is expected to be mirrored simultaneously in 300 out of Venezuela’s 335 municipalities, as informed by his party, Acción Democrática (AD).
Additionally, the team of former electoral rector Andrés Caleca hinted at an event to mark the campaign’s beginning, but details remain undisclosed, similar to former deputy Tamara Adrián, who plans to make a statement outside Caracas.
Maria Corina Machado’s team mentioned they wouldn’t be holding rallies this Tuesday, focusing instead on a planned visit by the candidate to the country’s east later in the week.
In contrast, Voluntad Popular (VP) did not respond to inquiries regarding Freddy Superlano’s campaign activities.
The National Primary Commission (CNP), overseeing the elections under the guidance of the opposition’s Democratic Unity Platform (PUD), revealed that 3,008 voting centers will be set up across 331 municipalities, though specifics on excluded areas and reasons remain unclear.
As the campaign intensifies, many candidates anticipate a surge in public events.
This follows a pre-campaign period during which some claim to have faced threats or assaults allegedly by government supporters.
There’s a looming concern that the primaries might be halted due to a lawsuit filed at the Supreme Court by Luis Ratti, a former chavismo-affiliated politician recently positioned himself as an independent.