A few hours before the November 30th deadline ended, the mechanism to review bans from running for office was just announced: candidates must appeal their bans between December 1st and 15th at the Comptroller’s Office. A TSJ Chamber will rule on the admission of the claim and the requested precautionary protection.
A few hours before the November 30th deadline ended, the mechanism to review bans from running for office was just announced: candidates, like María Corina Machado and Henrique Capriles, must appeal their bans (inhabilitaciones) between December 1st and 15th at the Comptroller’s Office. A Chamber of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice will rule on the admission of the claim and the requested precautionary protection.
The mechanism is full of tricky points: all parties must accept the ruling of the TSJ on this matter and the institutions cannot be ‘disrespected’ by the candidates. There are also points on “territorial integrity” which could tie the process to the candidates’ positions on the Esequibo referendum, rejected by María Corina Machado and Voluntad Popular. It’s still unclear which candidates will appeal.
“I do not see in this mechanism anything else than a simulation and an ambiguity that is left to the discretion of a politicized body in favor of PSUV. Except for pressure or non-public negotiations, the result seems to be a foregone conclusion”, tweeted political scientist Juan Manuel Trak.
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An official statement by the U.S. State Department said the mechanism to appeal bans “is an important development.” But it also said the U.S. is “deeply concerned by the lack of progress on the release of wrongfully detained U.S. nationals and Venezuelan political prisoners” and continues “active diplomatic engagement on these issues and will have more to say in the coming days on next steps given the state of play.
Afterwards, the State Department’s Spokesperson said that “due to lack of significant progress by Nicolas Maduro and his representatives on the release of wrongfully detained U.S. nationals and Venezuelan political prisoners, the U.S. is reviewing our sanctions relief as we assess what progress has been made.”
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