Venezuela's opposition leader names Corina Yoris as successor

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
23 Mar 2024 03:16

Maria Corina Machado selects Corina Yoris as her successor for the upcoming presidential election in Venezuela.

Opposition leader María Corina Machado holds a press conference accompanied by Corina Yoris, in Caracas, Venezuela, on Friday, March 22, 2024. (AP)

Venezuela's opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has named Corina Yoris as her successor in the upcoming presidential election, amid pressure to select a candidate before the March 25 deadline.

"We have found a person who has my complete confidence ... who will see this process through with everyone's support and trust," Machado stated, indicating that her fight against disqualification was not yet over.

This comes after Venezuela's Attorney General accused Machado of complicity in "destabilizing actions" against the Venezuelan state following her disqualification from the presidential elections in July.

Attorney General Tarek William Saab also revealed that two of Machado's aides and officials in her Vente Venezuela political party, Henry Alviarez and Dignora Hernandez, were arrested for the same charges.

According to Saab, the opposition's plot was to incite an anti-state uprising by rallying "the masses using labor and student unions to incentivize a military wing."

In the past few days, seven other aides have been arrested, while warrants have been issued for several others on similar charges.

To prove the allegations, Saab presented a confession by one of the detainees, Emil Brandt Ulloa, who admitted the plot was devised by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Maduro re-condemns imperialist plan to destabilize Venezuela

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro emphasized earlier on Tuesday that aristocracy and imperialism are conspiring to destabilize his nation.

He elaborated that such plans are intended to "destabilize" the country and "fill it with violence."

"They are preparing violent urban actions ('Guarimbas'). We must consolidate peace and life at the homeland before, during, and after the July elections. We must always defeat the far right, its puppets, and the oligarchy," said Maduro.