Venezuela sets date for presidential election

Venezuela's presidential election will take place on July 28 this year under an agreement between the government of President Nicolas Maduro and the opposition.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro waves to supporters as he arrives at an event in Caracas on March 5. (Source: Reuters)

On March 5, President of the Venezuelan National Electoral Council (CNE) Elvis Amoroso announced that the nomination period will last from March 21-25.

President Maduro is expected to run for re-election for a new six-year term. In this election, although she was disqualified from running since January 26, opposition candidate María Corina Machado still maintains her desire to run.

Last week, lawmakers from the National Assembly who support President Maduro's government, opposition groups and others proposed various election dates, ranging from April to December 2024.

According to Mr. Amoroso, the CNE has evaluated these proposals to come up with a schedule that considers all constitutional, legal and technical provisions.

In October 2023, the Venezuelan government and the opposition reached an agreement on the timing of the presidential election. Accordingly, the election will take place in the second half of this year under the supervision of international observers. Each party will select its own candidate to participate.

Previously, on March 1, at the 8th Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) held in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, President Maduro also said that Venezuela will hold presidential elections in the second half of 2024.

Mr. Maduro has invited CELAC and the United Nations to send observers to monitor the election.

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