Venezuela: The main opposition coalition of Venezuela has claimed it was unable to register its presidential candidate, Corina Yoris. The Plataforma Unitaria Democrática (PUD) also known as the Democratic Unitary Platform, argued that it was prevented from fielding their candidate against President Nicolás Maduro.
The coalition stated in a video that it could not register Yoris on the electoral authority’s online registration system before the midnight deadline. It raised concerns in neighbouring states that President Maduro deliberately blocked his chief opponents from the July vote.
Omar Barboza, a Coalition official, stated that, “They haven’t let us get in.” He also emphasised that they are violating the rights of the majority of Venezuelans who wish to vote for change.
Last week, Maria Corina Machado named Yoris as the PUD candidate. Machado, who leads the liberal Vente Venezuela party, won the opposition nomination by a significant margin last year. However, the Supreme Court prevented her from running in the presidential election.
Yoris’s unexpected candidacy took the country by surprise. As an academic, she was relatively unknown in the political scene, and until now, her only public political part was to assist arrange last year’s contender primary. During that event, 2.4 million voters fought the government’s dangers of criminal prosecution to select a nominee to run against Maduro.
Despite her lack of political experience, Yoris’s squeaky-clean record and grandmotherly air fast evolved into part of her charm. In addition, her name, Corina, is considered an asset and serves as a not-so-subtle reminder of her namesake supporter, Machado.
According to recent polls, if Venezuelan voters were given a fair choice, President Maduro would lose by a significant margin. So far, 10 candidates enlisted to contend in the July elections, but none of them are seen as a real threat to Maduro’s dominance. Despite the hardships faced by Yoris, the National Electoral Council declared that Manuel Rosales, the governor of the northwest Zulia state, officially registered for the election using ‘automated means.’
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