Maduro bolsters future election prospects with strategic Electoral Council head selection

Elvis Amoroso, a Bolivarian revolution proponent, was elected National Electoral Council (CNE) president of Venezuela on Friday.

He will hold this position for the next seven years. This move positions Maduro advantageously for upcoming elections.

Amoroso has begun a seven-year term as the president of Venezuela’s CNE.

The Venezuelan National Assembly, controlled by officialists, had previously designated him a principal rector.

This group is responsible for organizing, among other things, the 2024 presidential elections.

Amoroso has been the comptroller general since October 2018, appointed by the National Constituent Assembly.

This assembly consisted exclusively of Chavistas, who held uncontested power despite fraud allegations and lack of international recognition for three years.

This history and his new role highlight Amoroso’s status within the Chavista regime and its ongoing influence over Venezuelan institutions.

The Comptroller’s Office has not yet announced a replacement for Amoroso.

The institution has been criticized for disqualifying opposition leaders from public office in recent years.

A recent example is the June ban on María Corina Machado, barring her from the next presidential elections.

The CNE leadership also includes two other Chavista rectors. A retired military officer, Carlos Quintero was chosen as the institution’s vice president.

Rosalba Gil, Parliament’s secretary since 2021, is now the Electoral Register Commission president.

Aime Nogal, a lawyer and former ‘Un Nuevo Tiempo’ member, was named president of the Commission on Political Participation and Financing.

Juan del Pino, an electoral rector critical of past CNE actions, will join one of the body’s commissions.

“We have the world’s most reliable electoral system,” Amoroso stated after announcing the elected board to journalists during the new authorities’ first session.

He also shared that they approved visits to the CNE’s regional offices in all 23 states and will update on the working commissions’ installation next week.