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(Bloomberg) — Venezuela said it will hold presidential elections in July, setting the stage for Nicol\u00e1s Maduro\u2019s reelection as his main rival remains banned from public office.<\/p>\n
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Much about the nation\u2019s crucial vote, set for July 28, remains undecided: such as whether credible opposition candidates will be allowed to participate or whether international observers will accept or be allowed to monitor.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe electoral council has spoken,\u201d Maduro said following the announcement. \u201cWe are going to presidential elections, and I am sure that the people will fight their battle and will once again win a great victory.\u201d<\/p>\n
The move comes amid increased repression of Venezuela\u2019s opposition, including the banning of leading candidate Mar\u00eda Corina Machado from taking part in the election, which led the US to reinstate sanctions on Venezuela\u2019s state gold producer and threaten with further actions on oil and gas production.<\/p>\n
Read More: Venezuela Flouts US-Brokered Deal and Sets New Vote Terms<\/p>\n
Machado, for her part, remained undaunted and resolute.<\/p>\n
\u201cI received a mandate to lead this country to clean and free elections,\u201d she said in a post on X. \u201cI am committed to seeing this through to the end.\u201d<\/p>\n
The US has said Venezuela must allow opposition parties and candidates to participate in the vote and release more political prisoners ahead of April, or else it would allow a six-month oil and gas license to expire.<\/p>\n
Candidates will have until March 25 to register, allowing Machado and the opposition a little under three weeks to negotiate with the Maduro regime for her to be included in the election or for the opposition to accept a replacement candidate.<\/p>\n
Venezuelans will have until April 16 to register to vote, the head of the electoral council, Elvis Amoroso, said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The short time line will impede credible international observation and updating the electoral registry, said Eurasia Group analyst Risa Grais-Targow.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe March 25th candidate registration deadline will likely force an opposition debate around alternatives to Mar\u00eda Corina Machado, but it\u2019s still an open question as to whether they will be able to reach consensus on a strategy and candidate,\u201d Grais-Targow said.<\/p>\n
Now that a date has been set, Maduro is widely expected to officially announce his candidacy for a third consecutive term. National Assembly President Jorge Rodr\u00edguez has previously said Maduro will carry the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela banner in the vote.<\/p>\n
(Updates with Maduro\u2019s comments in third, Machado in sixth paragraph.)<\/p>\n
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