Venezuelan officials rescinded an invitation to the European Union to observe the upcoming July 28 presidential elections, another stark sign that President Nicol谩s Maduro is unlikely to cede power despite allowing an opposition candidate to run against him.
After months of intensified repression by the Maduro government 鈥� which banned legitimate challengers from the ballot, jailed political opponents and cracked down on civil society 鈥� the country鈥檚 electoral authority surprised many in April when it allowed the former diplomat Edmundo Gonz谩lez to register as an opposition candidate.
The Venezuelan government has been choked by sanctions from the United States and the EU on the country鈥檚 vital oil industry, and some experts say Maduro allowed Gonz谩lez to run only because it might help him sway Washington and its allies to ease up on the penalties.
The president of the council, Elvis Amoroso, said in a televised broadcast that he was rescinding the invitation until the EU lifted 鈥渢he unilateral and genocidal coercive sanctions imposed on our people.鈥�
鈥淚t would be immoral to allow their participation knowing their neocolonialist and interventionist practices against Venezuela,鈥� he added.
The EU said in a statement that it 鈥渄eeply regrets the unilateral decision鈥� of the electoral council and called on the government to reconsider its decision.
Venezuela鈥檚 economy imploded nearly a decade ago, prompting one of the world鈥檚 largest displacements in Latin American history: More than seven million Venezuelans have abandoned the country, contributing to a northward migrant surge that has become a dominant theme in the U.S. presidential campaign.
Three polls conducted inside the country showed that a majority of respondents planned to vote for Gonz谩lez. But there is widespread doubt that Maduro would allow such results to become public 鈥� or accept them if they do.
This year, the Maduro government has already detained and jailed 10 opposition members. Five others have warrants out for their arrest and are hiding in the Argentine Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela鈥檚 capital.
A proposal in the legislature would also allow the government to suspend the opposition鈥檚 campaign at any moment. Many Venezuelans living abroad have been unable to register to vote because of expensive and cumbersome requirements.
Maduro, 61, is the political heir to Hugo Ch谩vez鈥檚 socialist movement in Venezuela, and has consolidated power since first winning office in 2013. He functionally controls the legislature, the military, the police, the justice system, the national election council, the country鈥檚 budget and much of the media, as well as violent paramilitary gangs called colectivos.
He and his inner circle have also been accused of systematic human rights abuses amounting to crimes against humanity 鈥� including killings, torture and sexual violence.
This article originally appeared in . 漏 2024 The New York Times
