Following a wave of repression, Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) announced the decisions on the bans from running for office appealed by opposition politicians through the mechanism agreed in the Barbados Agreement. The bans on Capriles and Machado were ratified.
On Friday, the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) announced the decisions on the bans from running for office appealed by opposition politicians through the mechanism agreed in the Barbados Agreement. Although precautionary protection measures were granted –and acts were even dismissed– to a group of opposition politicians (Richard Mardo, Pablo Pérez, Leocenis García, Daniel Ceballos and Rosa de Scarano) whose bans were lifted, the bans on former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles and the current opposition candidate María Corina Machado were ratified. The ban of former mayor Enzo Scarano was also ratified. “The regime decided to end the Barbados agreements,” said Machado, “what is not over is our fight to conquer democracy through free and fair elections.”
The Barbados Agreement, through its enshrinement of the Chavista legal apparatus, is full of traps for the opposition. But, by not wasting its recently-found leverage, the opposition can still move forward.
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