Elections - Election campaign begins in crisis-hit Venezuela
Approximately three weeks before the Presidential election in Venezuela, the campaigning has begun in the crisis-stricken South American country. "The united people can never be defeated," said the authoritarian incumbent Nicolás Maduro during the campaign kickoff of the socialist government party. The most promising opposition candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, stated at his rally: "Hope is being reborn today. We are leading the way."
At the election on July 28, Maduro aims to secure a third term. However, observers do not expect a free and fair election. Recently, numerous opposition figures have been arrested, and government-critical candidates have been denied entry into the race. Besides Maduro, ten other candidates are running for the highest state office. The former diplomat González Urrutia from the opposition coalition Plataforma Unitaria Democrática is considered the most promising candidate besides Maduro.
The socialist government party can still count on a hardcore base of supporters, but given the catastrophic economic and humanitarian situation, frustration in the population is growing. According to estimates by observers and several surveys, the authoritarian head of state may actually face defeat in the voting after eleven years in power. However, it is questionable whether he would accept a loss.
Venezuela has been mired in a severe political and economic crisis for years. The economy of the once prosperous country with rich oil reserves is suffering from mismanagement, corruption, and sanctions. According to UN estimates, more than seven million people have left Venezuela in the past years due to poverty and violence.
- Despite the ongoing crisis in Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, the incumbent in the upcoming presidential election campaign, deemed the united people as unbeatable.
- Amidst the political chaos and economic turmoil, the main opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia saw hope reborn during his rally before the Presidential election in Caracas, Venezuela.
- In the midst of the election campaign, observers and surveys suggest that Maduro, aiming for a third term in the Venezuelan Presidential election on July 28, might face defeat due to the crisis-state of the country.
- With numerous opposition figures arrested and government-critical candidates barred from entering the race, critics question the integrity of the presidential election in crisis-stricken Venezuela, where Nicolás Maduro is the primary contender.
