Venezuela goes to the polls on Sunday, with opposition leader María Corina Machado, who is banned from running herself, galvanizing the Unitary Platform of Venezuela in a bid to topple President Nicolás Maduro.
The election is the first time in over two decades that there is genuine hope that opposition party could secure the presidency, after Machado united several factions. The opposition poses a threat to Maduro's and the socialist party's long-term control of the country.
Maduro, who is the leader of the United Socialist Party, has presided over the country since former President Hugo Chávez passed away in 2013. He has blocked political challengers, including Machado, seeking to maintain power.
Nicolás Maduro
A former bus driver and trade union leader prior to entering politics in 2000, 61-year-old Maduro ascended to the country's highest office 11 years ago, a decade marred by an economic and humanitarian crisis that has led to 7.7 million Venezuelans fleeing the country, according to the United Nations.
"Since 2019, more than 50 countries, including the United States, have refused to recognize Maduro as Venezuela's head of state," the U.S. State Department said in 2020. The U.S. has placed economic sanctions on the country since 2005.
Maduro is seeking another term as president in the country's July 28 election, which he has said could determine the Venezuela's fate.
"There will be an iron fist and justice for the violent fascist protesters and the racists," Maduro said in a campaign speech earlier this month in reference to the opposition party, per Financial Times (FT). He has accused the opposition of abusing state resources.
"On Sunday the future of Venezuela will be decided for the next 50 years," Maduro said at a campaign event, per FT. "Peace or war? Opposition protests or tranquillity? The extreme right or the Chavistas? Fascism or people's democracy? Savage capitalism or Christian socialism?"
María Corina Machado
On the other hand, 56-year-old industrial engineer and opposition candidate Machado campaigned on a platform proposing the privatization of state oil and economic reforms countering Maduro's policies. She has been given the nickname 'Iron Lady' by Venezuelan journalists and commentators, likening her to Britain's former Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.
Last October, she overwhelmingly won the party's primary, garnering 90% of the vote, but the results do not matter since she is barred from holding public office for 15 years.
In June 2023, the country's controller general alleged that Machado did not declare all her benefits as assets when she was a lawmaker, and should be banned from future office. Machado denies ever receiving said benefits. The country's Supreme Court confirmed the ruling in January 2024. She previously served in the National Assembly of Venezuela from 2011 to 2014.
Despite this, she continued to campaign and threw her support behind Edmundo González Urrutia in an effort to defeat Maduro.
Machado told CNN earlier this month: "We will win. We will succeed and we will bring everyone that has been forced to leave to come back. That's my only plan."
The Election
On Sunday, July 28, Maduro will appear on the ballot alongside Machado-backed former diplomat González, and eight other candidates.
21 million Venezuelans are registered to vote, however, given the large emigration exodus, the AP expects 17 million voters are actually in the country. Abroad, 69,000 Venezuelans are registered to participate in the election.
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