Venezuelan communists fear Maduro will suspend presidential election over Guyana controversy

Last Updated on Wednesday, 29 November 2023, 6:41 by Denis Chabrol

Caracas, Nov 28 (EFE).- The traditional leaders of the Communist Party of Venezuela warned of the possibility that President Nicolás Maduro could declare a state of emergency over the territorial controversy with Guyana, a move that could suspend the presidential elections scheduled for the second half of 2024.

The Communists say that the government’s decision to hold a non-binding referendum on Dec. 3, in which Venezuelans will vote for or against the annexation of almost 160.000 square kilometers of territory currently disputed with Guyana, “reflects its desperation due to the increasing rejection by the public of its neoliberal policies.”

In a statement, they warned, “Chavismo has appealed to the old tactic of trying to arouse patriotic and chauvinistic emotions in a significant part of the population through a costly advertising campaign to encourage participation in Sunday’s referendum.”

“We condemn the government’s strategy of deceiving, manipulating, and dominating the Venezuelan people, making them believe that there is no more important problem to solve in our country. It has only electoral, opportunistic, and reactionary purposes,” says the letter.

Nicolás Maduro’s government and all public institutions are giving priority to the referendum, which is unlikely to result in any change in the disputed territory, where Venezuela hasn’t exercised authority since 1899.

In October, the government and the opposition’s Unitary Platform reached an agreement to hold presidential elections in the second half of 2024.

Speculation is rife that Maduro will seek a third term in office, while the opposition is optimistic that the political disqualification of its candidate, former deputy María Corina Machado, will not prevent her from running. EFE