Venezuela’s opposition leaders are campaigning to defeat President Nicolás Maduro in the upcoming election, despite the odds being stacked against them. Maduro is supported by the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, which has controlled the country and its oil wealth for 25 years. The party has tilted the electoral system in its favor and used government benefits to incentivize voters. Despite this, opposition leaders are holding a primary on October 22 to decide who will take on Maduro next year. However, many election basics, such as who will vote and how, remain undetermined. The list of aspiring candidates includes Henrique Capriles and Maria Corina Machado. The lack of fair electoral conditions has prompted some opposition leaders to encourage boycotts in the past, but the strategy has failed. The opposition is yet to agree on whether to use government-owned electronic voting machines during the October contest. Disagreements also extend to whether Venezuelans living abroad who are of voting age should vote in the primary. Ruling party leader Diosdado Cabello has insisted that the opposition will not manage to hold a primary. If he is wrong, then the opposition must also figure out how to handle a primary win by a candidate whom authorities have previously banned from running for office.
Venezuela’s political landscape has been fraught with upheaval and change in recent years, but at its center remains a powerful leader: President Nicolás Maduro. As his term enters its eighth year, opposition forces have been vocal in their efforts to oust the president and return stability and democracy to the country.
The opposition coalition, which includes long-time opposition party National Assembly President Juan Guaidó, has supported controversial measures such as imposed economic sanctions to create an economic crisis in the country, as well as using international allies to place pressure on Maduro’s government.
With increasing pressure from within and without, Maduro has remained steadfast in his leadership. However, his opponents hope that by building up enough support, they can ultimately unseat Maduro and bring Venezuela back from the brink. As a result, it has become a contest for who can best position themselves to win a referendum to square off against the current leader and ascend to power.
One of Maduro’s most likely contenders is Guaidó. The president of the National Assembly has been officially recognized as Venezuela’s president by several countries around the world and serves as the figurehead of the opposition in the country. Guaidó’s popularity has continued to grow amid the country’s economic and political chaos and despite being arrested by Maduro’s forces, his message of restoring democracy and ending the Maduro regime remains firm.
The opposition has laid out ambitious plans to bring democracy back to Venezuela, and by forming an international coalition of partners to support their efforts, Maduro’s opponents are hoping to finally bring the country to a more stable and prosperous situation. As the political turmoil in Venezuela continues, the contest between Maduro and his opponents will undoubtedly remain a major aspect of the current country’s political landscape.
