The United States reviews its sanctions against Venezuela after the Chavista judicial coup against María Corina Machado

The recent judicial ruling against María Corina Machado, the frontrunner in Venezuela’s presidential elections, has drawn the attention of Washington, the main advocate for the Barbados Agreements between the Chavista Government and the opposition. Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US State Department, expressed disappointment, stating, “The decision by the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) to disqualify the winner of the opposition primaries is contrary to Nicolás Maduro’s representatives’ commitment to hold competitive elections in 2024.”

In its ruling on Friday, the TSJ upheld the electoral disqualification of Machado, manipulating previous documents in the process. This decision, backed by Nicolás Maduro’s government, confirms the unconstitutional and illegal ruling by the Chavista Comptroller’s Office. The opposition leader is accused of participating in a corruption scheme orchestrated by Juan Guaidó, resulting in the criminal blockade and overseas confiscation of companies and assets.

Contrary to these allegations, Machado distanced herself from Guaidó’s interim presidency during his tenure. The US State Department spokesperson added, “The United States is reviewing our sanctions policy against Venezuela in light of this recent political attack on democratic and civil opposition candidates.” The launch of Operation Bolivarian Fury led to the arrest of five leaders of Vente Venezuela, Machado’s party, including the teacher Víctor Venegas. These leaders have been accused by the revolutionary prosecutor of involvement in the alleged military barracks assaults, despite the lack of evidence.

Under the Barbados Accords, the US eased energy sanctions against Venezuela and in exchange secured the release of 10 American hostages and 16 Venezuelan political prisoners, including the alleged figurehead, Alex Saab. However, Maduro’s regime currently holds 257 political prisoners in their dungeons, not counting recent arrests.

The State Department criticized the court ruling as “deeply concerning,” emphasizing that it lacked basic due process elements, such as providing Machado with a copy of the accusations and an opportunity to respond. The decision goes against the “electoral roadmap” that aims to ensure all parties can select their candidates for the presidential elections, according to the US Government.

In his podcast, Nicolás Maduro accused the opposition of not supporting the investigations into the alleged conspiracies or condemning the assassination attempts.