The state of Barinas will no longer be ruled by the family of the late Hugo Chávez: on Sunday, the representative of the opposition to the socialist regime won the election for the post of governor. The clan of the former president, a figure of the Latin American radical left, retained power there for more than two decades. First with the father, Hugo de los Reyes Chávez (from 1998 to 2008), then with the latter’s sons, Adán (from 2008 to 2016) and Argenis Chávez (from 2017 to 2021).
Invalidated candidate
In November, in the general elections largely won by the Socialist United Party of Venezuela (PSUV), the formation of President Nicolás Maduro, Argenis Chávez was a candidate for re-election. While the results were being proclaimed across the country, the vote count dragged on in Barinas. And while the candidate of the Democratic Unity Table (MUD), a motley and very fractured coalition of opponents, had a slight lead, the Supreme Court of Justice and the Court of Accounts, two institutions controlled by the regime, canceled the ballot by invalidating the candidacy of his opponent.
For the new duel, Argenis Chávez threw in the towel and gave way to a heavyweight of Chavismo: the former vice-president Jorge Arreaza, several times minister and former son-in-law of Hugo Chávez: he was married for ten years to his daughter Rosa Virginia Chávez. The authorities had staked a lot on this battle and had spared no efforts. The parents of Hugo Chávez, 89 and 86, took part in the campaign. But the PSUV could not prevent Barinas from becoming the fourth state (out of 17) acquired by the opposition.
Unknown or almost a few weeks ago, Sergio Garrido, who had denounced “diversion” of state resources to favor the candidate of power, is the new governor. He won, according to the almost final results announced by the National Electoral Council, with 55.4% of the vote, against 41.3% for Arreaza. The participation, close to 52%, is also higher than that observed on November 28 at the national level (40%).
Ore and farming
Thus ended the long stranglehold of a dynasty on this state of less than a million inhabitants, rich in ore and gas. At the heart of llanos (plains), Barinas is located in a vast savannah very fertile and suitable for the breeding of cattle, shared between Venezuela and Colombia. This proximity to the border also exposes the State of Barinas to violence linked to Colombian guerrillas and drug trafficking.
The opposition could try to take advantage of Sunday’s coup to launch a signature campaign in favor of a referendum to revoke the mandate of Nicolás Maduro. The anti-Chavista camp on January 3 renewed its confidence in its main leader, Juan Guaidó, self-proclaimed “Interim president” since 2019. A title recognized by part of the international community, which allows it to control Venezuelan funds deposited abroad. The next presidential election is scheduled for 2024.