A senior PSUV party official in Venezuela revealed that the country's incumbent President Nicolas Maduro has been chosen as their candidate for a potential third, successive term in the elections scheduled for July 28.

A vote by the PSUV, United Socialist Party of Venezuela founded by the late President Hugo Chavez, decided that Maduro would be its presidential candidate, Deputy of the National Assembly of Venezuela
Diosdado Cabello said.

Maduro, on his part, has not personally made any announcements yet.

He did, however, post on X: "We will continue to travel throughout our country in the construction of more and more force and citizen organization to achieve electoral victory this year."

A formal PSUV announcement has been set for March 15, noting that presidential candidacies can be officially filed with the CNE between March 21 and 25.

The Venezuelan July 28 elections

Venezuela's presidential election is scheduled for July 28, as announced by the head of the national electoral council on March 5.

Lawmakers aligned with the government, opposition groups, and other entities proposed a range of dates two weeks ago, spanning from April to December.
 
The head of the electoral council, Elvis Amoroso, stated that the council "evaluated the different proposals for a schedule that contemplates all the constitutional, legal and technical requirements," as he read from an official statement.

It is worth noting that July 28 marks the birthday of the late President Hugo Chavez, who served as the mentor and predecessor to President Maduro until his passing in 2013.

In an electoral agreement forged in October, both the government and the opposition decided that the election would occur in the latter half of 2024, with international observers ensuring its transparency. Moreover, as part of the electoral agreement, each faction is set to independently choose its candidate for the upcoming presidential election.