Officials in Venezuela have confirmed that the country's upcoming presidential election is scheduled for July 28. However, the leading opposition candidate, Maria Corina Machado, remains disqualified from running for office. President Nicolás Maduro is expected to seek reelection, with his government initially engaging in election discussions with a faction of the opposition. Unfortunately, disagreements between the two sides have escalated in recent months.
The National Electoral Council President announced the election date, meeting one opposition demand for the election to be held in the second half of the year to allow time for campaign preparations and voter roll updates. Despite this, there are no provisions made for candidates banned by the government, including Machado, who emerged as Maduro's main rival after winning an opposition primary last year.
The election date was revealed after lawmakers proposed over 20 possible dates, ranging from mid-April to December. Campaigning will be permitted from July 4 to 25. Discussions between the Unitary Platform opposition group and Maduro's government in Barbados last year agreed on a second-half election, without specifying the month. However, the opposition negotiator recently advocated for a December vote.
Machado's campaign refrained from commenting on the election date, stating that she was currently on a tour in the Venezuelan Andes. The National Electoral Council President, who previously banned Machado from office, did not address her candidacy during the announcement.
