They disqualify 10 opposition mayors who support the candidacy of Edmundo González

Ten opposition mayors were disqualified from holding public office, according to the page of Venezuela’s electoral body, which does not provide further details.

“This voter is prohibited from exercising public office or function in accordance with the provisions of the current constitutional and legal regulations,” appears on the page of the National Electoral Council (CNE), when the ID number of each is entered. one of the mayors.

The eight mayors of the Trujillo state, in southwestern Venezuela, are: Heriberto Tapia (Motatán municipality), José Carrillo (Urdaneta municipality), Dilcia Rojas (Campo Elías municipality), Keiver Peña (Sucre municipality), Cervando Godoy (Márquez Cannizales municipality ), Wilmer Delgado (Monte Carmelo municipality), Yohanthi Domínguez (Carache municipality) and Francisco Aguilar (Andrés Bello municipality).

The mayors of the Nueva Esparta state, in the north of the country, Iraima Vásquez (Tubores municipality) and José María Fermín (Villalba municipality), were also disqualified.

The Comptroller General of the Republic (CGR) system sends a message indicating that mayors are disqualified from holding public office for 15 years.

“Isn’t it that they are not afraid of me? What a way to find out about a decision that didn’t go through any of the regular channels. “Atrocious!” wrote Mayor Heriberto Tapia of Motatán along with the screenshot of the CNE publication.

The presidential candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, who held a meeting last week with eight of the disqualified mayors, assured that the measure was taken to support his candidacy.

“Our support for the 10 mayors of Trujillo and Nueva Esparta who were unjustly disqualified for supporting our candidacy. The growing persecution confirms that Venezuela has decided to change and will express it with determination this July 28. “We will continue fighting together for a country where no one is persecuted for thinking differently,” he wrote on Wednesday on his X account.

Opposition leader María Corina Machado, winner of the presidential primary, but disqualified from holding public office, condemned the “abuses” assuring that the government is wrong if they believe they will intimidate the mayors.

“Understand: THIS HAS ALREADY CHANGED. The mayors (of all parties) know it. Whoever opposes this popular movement will truly be disqualified by the people,” he reacted on his account on X.

A political disqualification is a sanction against public officials who commit irregularities in their management and prevents them, for a period determined by the authorities, from holding public office. In Venezuela they have been considered a government maneuver to “eliminate” opposition politicians or dissident Chavistas seeking elected office.

Various disqualifications, including that of Machado, have been administrative, through the CGR and questioned for not being granted through a judicial process.

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has condemned administrative disqualifications, arguing that disqualification can only be done through a conviction by a judge, with guarantees of due process.

In April, four Venezuelan opposition politiciansincluding two acting mayors and potential candidates for the regional and municipal elections that should be held next year, were disqualified from holding public office for between 12 months and 15 years.

Machado, who is touring Venezuela campaigning for Edmundo González, has recently denounced a new “wave of repression” against the opposition, after the arrest of four leaders and members of press teams of political parties.

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