China showed support for Venezuela and criticized “external interference” after its ally faced criticism from the United States, France, and Brazil for preventing a major opposition candidate from participating in the July elections.
Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, called on the international community to have a positive and helpful role in Venezuela’s election.
“We honor Venezuela’s national and sovereign independence, endorse Venezuela in moving forward with the election according to its constitution and laws, and oppose outside involvement in Venezuela’s internal matters,” he stated.
Due to the inability to register Corina Yoris, 80, to run against President Nicolas Maduro for a third term, Venezuela’s opposition Democratic Unitary Platform was forced to register a lesser-known candidate this week.
During a joint press conference in Brazilia on Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva condemned the exclusion.
“We very firmly condemn the exclusion of a serious and credible candidate from this process,” stated Macron.
Lula stated that there was “no legal or political explanation for banning an opponent from being a candidate.”
“I told Maduro that the most important thing to restore normality in Venezuela was to avoid any problems in the electoral process, that the elections be held in the most democratic way possible.”
The previous day, the Washington criticized the electoral council's acceptance of “opposition candidates with whom Maduro and his representatives feel comfortable.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the move went against the competitive and inclusive elections that the Venezuelan people and international community would see as legitimate.
Yoris was already the embattled opposition’s Plan B.
PUD leader Maria Corina Machado overwhelmingly won an opposition primary last year but was banned from public office for 15 years by courts loyal to Maduro, accused of corruption, and supporting sanctions against his government – charges she dismisses as fabricated.
So, she selected Yoris, a university professor, as her replacement.
However, the PUD was unable to register Yoris by the deadline and had to substitute with a lesser-known “provisional candidate.
Many countries, including the United States, refused to accept the results of Maduro’s 2018 victory, alleging fraud and a lack of transparency after an opposition boycott.
AFP
