US works to ensure Venezuela election credible but faces obstacles, official says
By Matt Spetalnick and Steve Holland
WASHINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) -The U.S sees it as a “very open question” whether Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro can win re-election if he holds a free vote in July, and Washington is trying to ensure the ballot is credible in the face of significant obstacles, a senior U.S. official said on Friday.
The Biden administration is engaging with Venezuelan “stakeholders” as well regional and European partners in a bid to keep the electoral process on track but expects additional difficulties as the July 28 vote approaches, the official said on conditional of anonymity.
Maduro is vying against Edmundo Gonzalez, veteran ex-diplomat who was named main opposition candidate after primary winner Maria Corina Machado had a ban on holding office upheld by the Supreme Court, a move condemned by the U.S. at the time. Machado has since given Gonzalez her backing.
The U.S reimposed oil sanctions on OPEC-member Venezuela last month, accusing Maduro of not fully complying with deals reached with the opposition to ensure free and fair elections.
Still, Washington says Maduro has met some of his commitments, including setting an election date and allowing an opposition candidate to run. “We are closely monitoring whether there is any backtracking,” the senior administration official told reporters.
With a recent poll showing any candidate backed by Machado having more than double Maduro's support, opposition members have warned the ruling Socialist party could take action to bar Gonzalez from appearing on the ballot.
Maduro, whose 2018 re-election was rejected by Western governments as a sham, has presided over a sharp economic decline.
"The prospect for a free and fair election or even a minimally credible election remains one that we are very interested in seeking to advance, but we recognize also there are significant obstacles,” the official said.
“Whether or not Maduro could win an election in Venezuela is at best a very open question. Certainly there is a significant amount of polling that that is not the case."
The Venezuelan government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Asked whether there could be a change in U.S. policy toward Venezuela after July 28, the official said the response would depend heavily on how the election is conducted.
The U.S. Treasury Department said it would consider specific licenses on a case-by-case basis for companies to operate in Venezuela after it withdrew a broad license last month that had eased sanctions.
The prospects for individual licenses is seen by experts as a way for the U.S. to temper any impact on global oil supplies, and the official said it also may have a “moderating impact” on how Maduro’s government acts ahead of the election.
The official also reiterated the U.S. call for Venezuela to grant safe passage out of the country for a group of opposition activists sheltering at the Argentine embassy in Caracas.
Reporting By Matt Spetalnick and Steve Holland; writing by Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Cynthia Osterman
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
