Venezuelan Presidential Campaigns Begin in Highly Anticipated Contest

Venezuela’s Presidential campaigns for the upcoming July elections began this week.

The elections follow failed negotiations between Venezuela’s government and President Joe Biden’s administration over electoral assurances in exchange for sanctions relief.

Despite promises of allowing free and fair elections, the Venezuelan regime barred opposition leader Maria Corina Machado from participating in the same. 

However, Machado has invested her political capital into former Venezuelan Ambassador Edmundo Gonzalez.

After Machado began supporting Gonzalez, who was allowed to register for the elections, the latter skyrocketed in the country’s polls.

However, many are skeptical that Venezuelan Dictator Nicolas Maduro will permit a transparent electoral process and expect he will instead fix the elections in his favor.

Florida’s Congressional leaders introduced a bipartisan resolution in late June, for example, condemning Venezuela’s upcoming “sham” elections. 

The resolution is being led by Representatives María Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Carlos A. Giménez (R-FL), and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) in the House and Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) in the Senate.

 The lawmakers’ resolution characterizes Dictator Maduro’s government as “illegitimate.”

Senator Rubio commented on Maduro’s lack of morals when presenting the resolution.

“The criminal Maduro narco-regime will stop at nothing to maintain its illegitimate grip on power as it continues to target members of the opposition and undermine free and fair elections in Venezuela,” said Rubio. “Our partners worldwide must remain firm in their call for the release of all political prisoners who are currently being tortured by this illegitimate dictatorship.”

Machado and Gonzalez are currently campaigning side-by-side in anticipation of the July 28 elections.