Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who has been disqualified from running in this year's presidential election, insisted Monday that the poll could not take place without her.
Venezuela's Supreme Court, which is loyal to President Nicolas Maduro, on Friday upheld a 15-year ban on Machado from holding public office, and also confirmed the ineligibility of a possible opposition stand-in -- two-time presidential candidate Henrique Capriles.
The 56-year-old Machado described the ruling as "grotesque" and showed no sign she would bow out of the race.
"Nicolas Maduro will not choose the candidate of the people, because the people have already chosen their candidate, period," Machado told her supporters.
"I received the mandate of almost three million Venezuelans" in an opposition primary in October, she said. "We are going to win and they must prepare to lose."
"They cannot hold elections without me," she added.
Last year, Maduro's government and the opposition reached a deal in Barbados to hold a free and fair vote in 2024 with international observers present.
That agreement saw the United States ease sanctions against Venezuela, allowing US-based Chevron to resume limited oil extraction and leading the way to a prisoner swap.
Washington on Saturday warned that it could restore sanctions on Venezuela in response to the Supreme Court decision.
The Supreme Court said Machado would remain disqualified "for being involved... in the corruption plot orchestrated" by opposition leader Juan Guaido.
Guaido, now in exile, was recognized for a time by dozens of countries as the legitimate president of Venezuela after a 2018 election that saw Maduro inaugurated for a second successive term despite widespread fraud claims.
Maduro has not confirmed that he will seek a third term, but is widely expected to do so. No date has yet been set for the election which is expected in the second half of 2024.
The European Union said in a statement Monday it was "very concerned" by the disqualification of Machado and Capriles.
"Decisions intended to prevent members of the opposition from exercising their core political rights can only undermine democracy and the rule of law," it said, urging "the full implementation of the Barbados Agreement."
Last week, Maduro said the Barbados agreement was "mortally wounded" after government authorities claimed to have foiled numerous plots to assassinate him.
