Venezuela’s Supreme Court considers request to suspend opposition primaries

The Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) in Venezuela is reviewing a request to suspend the opposition primaries scheduled for October 22.

The primaries aim to select a candidate to challenge President Nicolás Maduro in the 2024 presidential elections.

Pre-candidate Luis Ratti made the request at the end of May and has been assigned to the president of the Electoral Chamber of the TSJ, Caryslia Rodríguez.

Ratti, who was previously aligned with chavismo (the political movement led by the late Hugo Chávez), now presents himself as an independent candidate.

He expressed his belief that the entire primary process is flawed because it allows the participation of politicians who have been disqualified by the current regime, including María Corina Machado and Henrique Capriles.

Ratti criticized the opposition’s National Primary Commission (CNP), accusing them of organizing exclusive elections to please a small group of leaders.

He argued that the process should be open to a broader dialogue to select a single candidate without the need for primaries.

The TSJ received the necessary supporting documents for Ratti’s appeal on Monday, and a decision is expected to be reached in the near future.

Regarding María Corina Machado, Ratti claimed that her disqualification by the Comptroller’s Office, announced recently, could lead to instigating violence. He suggested that any potential violence should be prevented in advance.

Contrary to Ratti’s stance, the CNP confirmed the candidacies of Machado and Capriles, as well as others, for the upcoming primaries.

The commission stated that they did not receive any objections against the eligible candidates and criticized the ineligibility imposed by the chavista regime as unconstitutional and a violation of international human rights standards.

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