Elections Series – The Future of Venezuela Post-Opposition Primaries
This post is also available in: Spanish
Venezuela’s political opposition carried out its primaries on October 22, 2023 to select its candidate for presidential elections scheduled for 2024. More than 2.4 million of Venezuelans went to the polls. María Corina Machado, who won by 92,35 percent of the vote, remains arbitrarily disqualified by the Maduro government to run for office. The primaries follow an agreement on electoral conditions signed between Venezuela’s Unitary Platform for the Negotiation and Maduro government representatives on October 17 in Barbados. The agreement opened the door to international electoral observation in upcoming presidential elections and led to the release of some political prisoners, but it provides limited clarity on details regarding the reversal of opposition candidates’ arbitrary disqualifications. A day later, the United States government eased sanctions against Venezuela, stating they would be reinstated if Venezuelan authorities do not comply with their commitments.
Join us for this hybrid event on November 2, 2023, from 3:00 to 4:30 PM EDT at the Inter-American Dialogue for a panel discussion exploring the challenges and opportunities for a democratic transition in Venezuela. What do the primary election results mean for Venezuela? What can we expect as an outcome of the agreement signed in Barbados? Will the opposition rally behind a unified strategy? What steps should the international community take to support the path to free and fair elections? What additional actions are necessary to create incentives for a democratic transition?
This event is part of the Inter-American Dialogue’s series on upcoming elections in Latin America and the Caribbean. Follow the event on Twitter at #IADElectionsSeries and @The_Dialogue.
This event will have simultaneous interpretation from English to Spanish and vice versa for those who join the event online through the RSVP.
OPENING REMARKS
REBECCA BILL CHAVEZ
President and CEO, Inter-American Dialogue (@RebeccaBillChav)
A CONVERSATION WITH
MARÍA CORINA MACHADO
Founder and National Coordinator of Opposition Party VENTE Venezuela (@MariaCorinaYA)
PANELISTS
PAOLA BAUTISTA DE ALEMÁN
National Vice President of Political Education and Programs, Primero Justicia (@paoladealeman)
MARK FEIERSTEIN
Senior Advisor, Latin America Program, USIP and Albright Stonebridge Group (@MarkFeierstein)
CLAUDIA NIKKEN
Executive Secretary, Delegation of the Unitary Platform of Venezuela (@CNdeB)
LAURA DIB
Venezuela Program Director, WOLA (@lauradib)
MODERATOR
TAMARA TARACIUK BRONER
Director, Peter D. Bell Rule of Law Program, Inter-American Dialogue (@TamaraTaraciuk)