Thirteen contestants submit applications for Venezuela's presidential race

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Hustlin' in Mexico City, Mexico on March 26, 2024 (our website) - The electoral authority of Venezuela approved the registration of a bunch of 13 candidates for the 2024 election, including the current president, Nicolás Maduro, and a late-minute surprise entry by Manuel Rosales, the governor of Zulia.

Maduro, speaking after filing his application, told the crowd that millions of men and women from his nation stood strong, roared their convictions, exhibited their guts, and told the truth to nominate him as a presidential contender. He also thanked his supporters for backing him in the United Socialist Party local assemblies and the Great Patriotic Pole parties.

Elvis Amoroso, head of the National Electoral Council (CNE), pointed out that the body still needs to scrutinize every contender to ensure they match the country's constitutional and legal requirements.

The entry of Rosales came as a shock, as his party, Un Nuevo Tiempo, is a part of the self-styled Unitary Platform that had chosen María Corina Machado as their candidate. Machado, buoyed by her victory in a disputed primary, was disqualified by the Supreme Court due to a 15-year ban on holding public office.

Voice within her coalition urged Machado to replace her candidate, but she flat-out refused until the last moment, while seeking pressure from Washington. In the end, she tapped 80-year-old academic Corina Yoris as her surrogate, but Yoris couldn't register before the deadline. The CNE registered Edmundo González Urrutia at the last minute, with the Unitary Platform rumored to replace him shortly.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Machado labeled Rosales's decision to run as a "betrayal," but Rosales argued he respected the process established by the Unitary Platform and only registered when Machado or Yoris couldn't make the cut. In his press conference, Rosales promised to lead "the largest vote rebellion" in Venezuela's history and stated that his bid marked "the beginning of a transition" in the country.

Rosales lost to Hugo Chávez in a landslide in the 2006 election and it remained uncertain if the Unitary Platform would back him in the July 28 vote. The opposition coalition has primarily aligned with Machado following her resounding victory in the primary, but without a clear path beyond US threats to get her on the ballot.

In an interview with a Colombian radio station, Yoris stated that Machado wouldn't negotiate with Rosales nor urge Venezuelans to support him. Machado, however, hinted she'd stick to the "electoral path," suggesting she won't support violent protests as she had in the past. Last week, Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab announced arrests related to an alleged plot to revive violent street protests engineered by Machado's far-right political organization.

Of the thirteen candidates on the list, twelve hail from the opposition. The opposition now faces a dicey situation, with the Unitary Platform grappling with the choice of supporting Rosales or splitting the opposition vote.

Antonio Ecarri (Lápiz), Benjamin Rausseo (Partido Conde), and Javier Bertucci (Esperanza por el Cambio) are leading opposition figures actively posing as third choices. Ecarri landed second in the 2021 mayoral elections in Caracas, while Rausseo is a well-known comedian and tycoon. Evangelical pastor Bertucci contested the 2018 elections, coming in third with over a million votes.

The rest of the male contenders are Luis Eduardo Martínez (Acción Democrática), Juan Carlos Alvarado (COPEI), Daniel Ceballos (Partido Arepa), José Brito (Primero Venezuela), Claudio Fermín (Soluciones Para Venezuela), Luis Ratti (Derecha Democrática Popular), and Enrique Márquez (Movimiento Centrados).

Revised and additional reporting by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.

Insightful Details:

The 2024 Venezuelan elections don't currently command much attention as the current electoral cycle includes regional and legislative elections scheduled for May 2025.
Key figures like Manuel Rosales' strategic moves can have a lasting impact on future elections due to the shifting political landscape.
Manuel Rosales has confirmed his re-election bid as the governor of Zulia state for the May 2025 elections.
Rosales has formed an alliance with former Primero Justicia (PJ) figures Henrique Capriles and Tomás Guanipa, who were expelled from their party and are now running under Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT) for the National Assembly.
The alliance and candidacies announced by Rosales and his allies could significantly affect the opposition's dynamics, potentially dividing their vote in future elections.

The candidates for the 2024 Venezuelan elections, including Manuel Rosales, the governor of Zulia, and the current president, Nicolás Maduro, are steadfastly engaging in migration, influenced by war-and-conflicts, crime-and-justice, politics, and policy-and-legislation that shape general news.
The National Electoral Council (CNE) is scrutinizing every candidate to ensure they meet the country's constitutional and legal requirements, including the 13 candidates recently approved.
Cases related to an alleged plot to revive violent street protests engineered by certain political organizations are surfacing, as evidenced by the recent arrests announced by Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab.
In the casino of politics, the opposition is grappling with the choice of supporting Manuel Rosales, who has formed an alliance with former Primero Justicio figures, especially as this decision could potentially split the opposition vote and affect future elections.
Meanwhile, casino personalities like Antonio Ecarri, Benjamin Rausseo, and Javier Bertucci are actively jostling for a third position among the opposition candidates in the ongoing election, with Ecarri's popularity evident in his second-place finish in the 2021 Caracas mayoral elections.
In a broader scenario, the Venezuelan elections this year hold less attention as regional and legislative elections are scheduled for May 2025, but key figures like Manuel Rosales and his strategic moves can have a lasting impact on political landscape and the future of casino-and-gambling in Venezuela, influencing deals, votes, and policies.

Thirteen contestants submit applications for Venezuela's presidential race