Venezuela's former opposition candidate calls for presidential elections
The former opposition candidate urged presidential elections near the five-month mark of the interim administration that followed a U.S. military intervention. The call came in a social-media message that listed conditions for any future vote.
Abc NewsVenezuela's former opposition candidate called on Saturday for presidential elections as the five-month mark of the interim administration approaches after a U.S. military intervention that removed the prior president in early January. The 76-year-old former diplomat was recognized by several countries as the winner of the July 2024 vote.
International observers deemed electoral records showing that outcome credible. In a social-media message, the former candidate stated that it is time to "build the conditions for holding presidential elections that serve as citizen instruments for change" and help re-institutionalize the country.
The message comes just before the five-month anniversary of the interim president taking office on Jan. 5 after the prior president's arrest. The interim president was recognized by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, and the two countries have since advanced agreements that include the lifting of sanctions and talks on oil and energy.
Conditions listed for any vote The former candidate said any electoral process must include independent referees, national and international observation, and political pluralism. The release of political prisoners and an end to persecution were described as non-negotiable.
The opposition leader asserted that he remains the guardian of the mandate voters gave in 2024. He has been in exile in Spain since September 2024 after an arrest warrant was issued on charges he denies. The former candidate gained prominence after being named substitute for an opposition leader who was barred from running.
That leader recently met with opposition figures in Panama and said she would return before year's end to seek the presidency.
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