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LATIN AMERICA ADVISOR

LATIN AMERICA ADVISOR

A daily publication Of the dialogue

February 6, 2025

What Will Come of Venezuela’s Local Elections in April?

Venezuela is planning legislative and regional elections in late April. Opposition leader María Corina Machado has called for a boycott. // File Photo: @MariaCorinaYA via X.

Q

  • Venezuela will hold legislative and local elections on April 27, less than one year after President Nicolás Maduro declared victory in the country’s controversial presidential election in July. The vote—and a requirement for all authorized parties and candidates to declare they will adhere to official election results—has divided the opposition to Maduro’s government; activist and political leader María Corina Machado has called for her supporters to boycott the planned elections. What is Maduro hoping to accomplish by holding elections for National Assembly members and local officials, and why is the vote being scheduled so soon into Maduro’s third term as president? Why is the opposition divided over whether to participate? How might the international community react to the April elections compared to last year’s controversial presidential contest?

A

Eileen Gavin, principal analyst for sustainable finance & Americas at Verisk Maplecroft: “Plans for constitutional reform and the early legislative and regional elections correspond to Maduro’s efforts to consolidate power until 2030, including the suppression and/or capture of what remains of the domestic political opposition. A probable strong majority result for the ruling PSUV and its allies on April 27 would allow the regime to claim a veneer of legitimacy as it seeks to rebuild its standing following last year’s widely discredited presidential election. The opposition is between a rock and a hard place as democracy continues to erode within Venezuela. Previous electoral boycotts merely served to hand the PSUV political and institutional power on a platter, with…”

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The Inter-American Dialogue publishes the Latin America Advisor every business day for a distinguished membership of informed corporate leaders, scholars, and government officials invested in Latin America’s development and future. The Advisor‘s highly regarded Q&A section covers questions submitted by subscribers themselves. Commentators regularly include heads of state, business leaders, diplomats, economists, analysts, and thought leaders from around the world. Many of the world’s largest and fastest-growing companies subscribe to the Advisor. To subscribe, click here. For terms and conditions, click here. For more information, contact Gene Kuleta, editor of the Advisor, at gkuleta@thedialogue.org.
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Merike Blofield
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Devry Boughner Vorwerk
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Nicolas Mariscal
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Thomas F. McLarty III
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Ernesto Revilla
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