Two weeks after the local elections in Venezuela won hands down by the ruling Socialist Party (PSUV), the battle for the state of Barinas is in full swing. The High Court of Justice (TSJ) indeed annulled the election of the governor of this central state of the country, which had been won on November 21 by the opponent Freddy Superlano. The High Court ordered the organization of a new ballot on January 9, 2022. The decision, obviously contested by the opposition, has a strong symbolic charge: the State of Barinas is the historical and nepotistic stronghold of the late Hugo Chavez.
Since the leader of the Bolivarian Revolution came to power in 1999, Barinas, land of sun and cattle, has always been in the hands of a member of the Chavez clan. Hugo’s father ruled Barinas for ten years, before handing over power to his son Adam, who handed it over to his brother Argenis in 2017. Shortly beaten on November 21, Argenis Chavez announced that he would not be a candidate on January 9, 2022. He will be replaced by Jorge Arreaza, Hugo Chavez’s former son-in-law.
“Illuminated by the immortal spirit of our commander Hugo Chavez who never abandons us, we have decided to launch the candidacy for the post of governor of Barinas of an experienced, honest, capable and courageous man: comrade Jorge Arreaza”, said President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday (December 5th). Mr. Arreaza was Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs to Mr. Maduro. The opposition denounces “Parachuting” from Arreaza, who did ” no link ” with the Barinas and who votes in Caracas.
The day after the local election, on November 22, the National Electoral Council (CNE) attributed the victory in Barinas state to Argenis Chavez, before retracting. Five days later, the results, which gave Mr. Superlano a very slight advantage, were still not officially announced. Seized by a political rival, the TSJ then announced its decision to cancel – retroactively – the candidacy of Mr. Superlano, on the grounds that he was subject to a sanction pronounced August 17 by the Comptroller General of the Republic – the institution responsible for the supervision of public funds. Mr. Superlano was a Member of Parliament from 2015 to 2020.
The sanction was ignored by all, as recalled Roberto Picon, one of the two members of the CNE independent of power. He criticized the TSJ’s decision, which “Seriously undermines the competence of the CNE and the will of the people of Barinas”. For his part, Mr. Superlano described the court decision as “Constitutional coup”. The opponent announced on Sunday that his wife Aurora would be a candidate on January 9, 2022. But she was in turn declared ineligible, even though she never held a position in the public service. “What the dictatorship wants is to ask it: “who do you want us to have as a candidate?” “, quipped Freddy Superlano at a press conference in Caracas.
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