The Venezuelan opposition said that ten mayors across two states have been banned from holding political office by the government for supporting its presidential candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, in the upcoming elections.
In a publication on X, González Urrutia expressed solidarity with the officials, located in the states of Trujillo and Nueva Esparta. "The growing levels of political persecution confirm that Venezuela has decided to change and will show it on July 28," said the candidate, in reference to the date of the elections.
According to Infobae, some of the opposition mayors are Iraima Vásquez and José María Fermin. They are currently banned from holding public office for 15 years. The news adds to other similar by the Maduro government, which has detained activists and shut down stores with connections to the opposition.
This week, top opposition leader María Corina Machado denounced that at least 37 activists and political leaders have been detained so far this year. The latest case took place last week, when three opposition activists were arrested after being involved in the organization of a series of rallies.
The detentions were rejected by the U.S., with Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Brian Nichols saying that "ongoing harassment of members of Venezuela's democratic opposition are deeply concerning developments in the run up to the July 28 presidential election." "Venezuelan candidates & activists should be allowed to campaign peacefully & free from intimidation."
The Venezuelan government harshly condemned the statement, with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil saying the country was interfering "in matters that do not concern them." "Mr. Nichols returns with his vulgar obsession to insult Venezuelans by interfering in matters that do not concern him," Gil added.
"It seems that the defeat painted on the foreheads of his puppets is causing him more pain than ever. His attempts to interfere in our process will be as effective as the policies of his government: A resounding failure! They haven't succeeded and they never will."
However, polls are pointing in the other direction. A recent one by ORC Consultores showing the opposition candidate with over 50% of the votes compared to Maduro's 15%.
Some 18% of respondents said they are still undecided, but even if all those votes were to go to the president, he would still be lagging the opposition candidate.
Another potentially encouraging sign for the opposition took place on Wednesday, when the Carter Center confirmed it will send a mission to Venezuela to oversee the elections. This is significant as international oversight will play a key role in the election's perceived legitimacy. Dozens of countries refused to recognize the last presidential elections, arguing that the process where Nicolás Maduro claimed the victory were ridden with inconsistencies and unclean.
Concerns about this process were exacerbated over the past weeks after the electoral body withdrew such an invitation to the European Union, saying it would be "immoral" to allow so given its "neocolonialist and interventionist practices" with regards to the country.
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