With an International Board

Jesús Sánchez Meleán

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Venezuelan democracy is at stake, but not in a peaceful game of chess, but in a contest full of twisted strategies and unconventional moves. Nicolás Maduro, the ruthless leader of Chavismo who aspires to be elected for a third presidential term, faces María Corina Machado, a staunch defender of Venezuelan democracy and opposition presidential candidate.

The electoral game in Venezuela, for the past 25 years, has been far from fair and equitable. Maduro, like a skillful chess player, has the advantage, changing the rules at will and selecting his competitors. This time, his strategy included the disqualification of Machado, who obtained 80 percent of the votes from the Venezuelan opposition in primary elections.

Maduro, like his predecessor did with his opponents, has used every trick at his disposal to prevent electoral participation. By imposing a defeatable, or “potable” contender as Chavismo calls it, he is creating discouragement and dividing the opposition sector. But what Maduro is really doing is closing the door to the true option for change in Venezuela. Machado’s victory means the rescue of democracy in Venezuela.

The Venezuelan dictator this time turns his back on the commitments he made with the opposition in front of international mediators. The Venezuelan contest is also played on a board that transcends Venezuela’s borders. International pressure, led by important allies of Maduro like Lula Da Silva from Brazil and Gustavo Petro from Colombia, ensured at least a minimal victory for Machado.

Lula and Petro made Maduro allow, after the deadline for registering presidential candidates had passed, the registration of a name to at least safeguard the opposition coalition card on the ballot. However, the Maduro regime continues to resist allowing Machado or Corina Yoris, whom she chose as her representative in the presidential election, to participate as presidential candidates.

Machado continues to use all the resources at her disposal. In a recent letter, Machado urges the Norwegian Prime Minister to ensure free and fair elections in Venezuela. Norway was the guarantor of a dialogue mechanism between the opposition and the Chavista regime. The opposition leader details all the actions of which she has been a victim and denounces the political persecution that she and her team are suffering.

With an International Board

The presidential aspirant insists that she seeks to ensure that free and fair elections take place, and international actors are critical to achieving this. Machado does not have free movement in Venezuela. She cannot travel by plane within the country, let alone travel abroad. Private media have her banned because otherwise they would be retaliated against by the Chavista regime.

Even with all these restrictions, Machado is the only serious reference within the opposition vote in Venezuela. It can be said that all the others who claim to be opposition leaders are actually “puppets.” This political game is not peaceful, but Machado is playing, and there are just over three months left to see if she manages to checkmate the Chavista dictator and his henchmen.