Venezuela announces new date for set of elections on May 25
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The elections, originally set for April 27, were postponed in response to requests from political figures aimed at encouraging greater voter participation.
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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro waits to receive attendees at the ALBA Summit in Caracas, Venezuela on December 14, 2024. (AP)
Venezuela has announced that parliamentary, legislative, and gubernatorial elections will be held on May 25, as reported by Al Mayadeen’s correspondent.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Elvis Amoroso, head of the electoral board, explained that the postponement from the original April 27 date was made in response to requests from political figures aimed at encouraging greater voter turnout.
Amoroso revealed the vote has been rescheduled for May 25 rather than April 27.
Maria Corina Machado, a prominent opposition leader, urged supporters to boycott President Nicolas Maduro's third six-year term in January, following an election that the US-backed opposition has labeled as "fraudulent".
Her proposal for broad boycotts has already sparked potential divisions among the opposition, with some supporting Machado and others advocating for participation. An alliance of opposition parties known as the unitary platform has yet to make a formal decision.
According to Maduro, Venezuelans will vote for roughly 300 parliamentarians and 24 governors, including one for the Essequibo area, which is disputed with neighboring Guyana.
Maduro: Americans violated agreements, tried to destabilize Venezuela
In late January, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro revealed that over 200 mercenaries from over 25 nationalities planning to "set the country on fire" have been arrested.
Maduro stressed that "the Americans violated the agreements and wanted to destabilize Venezuela," considering that the new president in the US would be a good opportunity to "build a new and profitable relationship between Venezuela and America."
Maduro was sworn in for his third term on January 10 after being re-elected as the country's leader. In a speech, he emphasized his legitimacy, stating, "I was not inaugurated by the United States or any Latin American country, but by the will of the people." He reiterated his independence from foreign influences, declaring, "I am not an absolute ruler nor a servant of oligarchs or imperialists."
He also addressed allegations of external conspiracies, claiming, "The country has defended itself against an American plot aimed at undermining Venezuela, and we emerged victorious in this confrontation."
