Maduro Seeks Third Term Amid Open Contest

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro will seek his third term in office in a vote that’s regarded as the South American country’s most open contest in more than a decade.

Analysts believe the presidential election could put Venezuela on a path to substantial change — on the proviso that Maduro is open to relinquishing power, if he is defeated at the ballot box.

“The destiny of Venezuela depends on our victory,” Maduro said at a rally earlier this month. “If we want to avoid a bloodbath, or a fratricidal civil war triggered by the fascists, then we must guarantee the biggest electoral victory ever.”

Some public opinion polls have indicated a preference for opposition candidate and former diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia. The 74-year-old is widely regarded as the only contender capable of denying Maduro a third six-year term.

González was selected by the country’s major opposition coalition, the Democratic Unitary Platform, following the disqualifications of María Corina Machado and Corina Yoris.

Maduro’s United Socialist Party of Venezuela has governed Venezuela since 2013, with the former union leader taking power after the death of his mentor Hugo Chavez. His 2018 election victory was widely regarded as an unfair contest, given that many prominent opposition parties were banned from taking part.

Maduro and his political allies have ramped up references to the prospect of post-election violence in recent weeks, sparking alarm within the international community.

Venezuela’s gross domestic product shrank by roughly three-quarters between 2014 and 2021, according to the Council of Foreign Relations, though the country’s economy has expanded in recent years. In April, the International Monetary Fund said it expects Venezuela to register real GDP growth of 4% in 2024.