Venezuela's Machado Urges International Pressure Over Elections

Caracas, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Mar, 2024) Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on Friday urged the international community to heap more pressure on President Nicolas Maduro's government to allow her coalition's chosen candidate to take part in July elections.

The 56-year-old politician thanked countries like Colombia and Brazil -- traditional allies of Caracas -- which joined the United States and France in expressing their alarm over the exclusion of candidate Corina Yoris.

"They reaffirm that our struggle is fair and democratic," Machado wrote on X.

"I call on the democratic leaders of the world to join the efforts of presidents and governments in demanding that the Maduro regime allow the registration of Corina Yoris as a candidate in the presidential elections.

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Machado's Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) was this week forced to register an unknown candidate after being unable to sign up Yoris, 80, to face off against Maduro, who is seeking a third term in office.

Yoris was already the embattled opposition's Plan B.

PUD leader Maria Corina Machado overwhelmingly won an opposition Primary in October last year, but was banned from public office for 15 years by courts loyal to Maduro after being accused of corruption -- a charge she dismisses as fabricated -- and of supporting sanctions against his government.