Maduro Drags his Feet, Delays Reinstatement of Venezuelan Primary Winner

Venezuelan Dictator Nicolas Maduro reached a last minute deal late last week with the Venezuelan opposition to extend the reinstatement of banned candidates until December 15th. 

Dictator Maduro’s puppet Supreme Court recently infamously barred opposition primary winner Maria Cornia Machado from participating in Venezuela’s upcoming 2024 elections. 

Maduro’s regime cited Machado’s support for US sanctions against Venezuela and former regime opponent Juan Guaido as justifying her ban.

Shortly thereafter, the US imposed a November 30th deadline for Maduro’s government to reinstate Machado in exchange for lifting oil-export sanctions. 

As reported by The Floridian’s Javier Manjarres, President Joe Biden’s administration’s leverage of economic sanctions could lead to free and fair elections. 

Late Thursday night, Maduro and opposition negotiators agreed to extend the government’s window to reinstate banned candidates until December 15th.  

The extension comes amid a looming international oil crisis, with the US scrambling to find alternate sources of oil imports. Manjarres reported that OPEC has voted to cut world oil production by more than 2 million barrels of crude a day.

One such alternative oil source for the US could be Venezuela. 

Manjarres explains the global oil supply shortage, to be exacerbated by the OPEC’s recent announcement, was a key driver behind the negotiations with the Venezuelan opposition. 

However, scores of public officials and political leaders have suggested terminating the deal and punishing Venezuela with renewed sanctions. 

Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fl) called for the US to backtrack sanction relief given Venezuela’s recent actions. 

“Let there be no doubt: Maduro had no intention of upholding the Oct 17th agreement & the result of the elections. The U.S. should reverse all sanctions relief,” said Senator Rubio.