The Venezuelan Supreme Court suspends "all effects" of the opposition primary process

The Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) of Venezuela has ordered the suspension of “all the effects of the different phases of the electoral process conducted by the National Primary Commission” (CNP), held on the 22nd, after receiving an appeal filed by the opposition deputy José Brito who requested a review of “irregularities.”

In accordance with ruling 122 of the Electoral Chamber of the TSJ, published on the Supreme Court website, the organizing commission of the opposition elections must record “the administrative background, containing the twenty-five phases of the electoral process” of the primaries, which range from the call to the event to the minutes of scrutiny, totalization and proclamation.

In addition, they must submit to the Supreme Court the minutes of acceptance of the candidacy of the candidates disqualified by the Comptroller's Office from holding elected positions, as is the case of the winner of the internal elections María Corina Machado, who is subject to this administrative measure, imposed in 2015 for a period of one year, but recently extended until 2030.

Likewise, they must deliver the resignations of the candidates Henrique Capriles and Freddy Superlano – who declined to participate just a couple of weeks before the elections -, also disqualified, as well as those of “any other citizen who has decided to renounce their candidacy.”

The TSJ gives the CNP a period of three days to submit “a report” indicating “the mechanism used to safeguard electoral material and the place designated for this purpose.”

Finally, he orders to notify the attorney general, Tarek William Saab, and other public powers of this sentence and of the facts reported by Brito that – he assured – could constitute “the alleged commission of electoral crimes and the alleged commission of common crimes,” without specifying what type of illegal acts they committed.

Criticisms of the sentence

The Venezuelan opponents defending the primary elections on October 22 rejected the sentence on Monday. The anti-Chavista Freddy Superlano, who registered as a candidate in the primaries and eventually withdrew, said on the social network in championing María Corina Machado as the winner” of the primaries.

The Venezuelan leader, Juan Guaidó, denounced this Monday that the Government of the president of that country, Nicolás Maduro, is failing to comply with the agreements signed in view of “competitive elections.” “The dictatorship intends to make invisible and dehumanize (typical of dictatorships) millions of Venezuelans who we elect in primaries with many obstacles” to María Corina Machado, lamented Guaidó, currently exiled in Miami, in the south of Florida (USA), in a message posted on X.

For her part, Delsa Solórzano, who competed with Machado and eight other candidates in the primaries, reiterated her support for the organizing commission and the technical teams that supported the process in which “Venezuela expressed itself”, for which, as she stressed, “nothing can change the will of a nation that wants change.”

For primary candidate Andrés Caleca, “each attack by the regime” receives “an intelligent response in unity, without free drawing and without falling into provocations.”

In the opinion of former governor Henrique Capriles, with “each attack and mockery” of citizens who “suffer the consequences of an indolent government”, the number of votes with which voters will change what they consider to be the “worst” Executive will “multiply.” “of history.”

“We Venezuelans confirm that we are a peaceful, democratic people with full conviction that the electoral route is our best tool.”. “United we are stronger!” insisted the two-time candidate for the Presidency.