VENEZUELA-Focus On US Reaction After Opposition Registers Pres. Candidate

Venezeula's main opposition group, the Unitary Platform (PU) has, at the third attempt, been able to register a candidate for the upcoming presidential eleciton on 28 July. There has been significant focus on the registration of candidates, given that an open electoral process under the Barbados Agreement has been seen as a necessity for the US if it is not to re-impose sanctions on the Venezuelan O&G sector from 18 April. So far there has been no comment on the registration from US officials.

• The PU's first-choice candidate, Maria Corina Machado, was barred from running by the country's top court. The alliance attempted to register second-choice candidate, Corina Yoris. However, the PU claimed that they were unable to access the automated enrollment platform by the stated deadline.
• Following an extension to the dealine, the PU claims that it had “decided to provisionally register” Edmundo González Urrutia, aformer diplomat. If all members of the PU coalition can agree on a new candidate by the deadline of 20 April, González could be replaced on the ballot.
• The gov't of President Nicolas Maduro has come in for criticism following the exclusion of Yoris from the ballot, and not just from Maduro's usual critics in the US. Left-wing gov'ts in both Brazil and Colombia each expressed their concern at developments.
• Opposition 'A New Era' party leader Manuel Rosales is also on the ballot. Given that Rosales' party is part of the PU alliance it remains to be seen whether he stands down in order to avoid splitting the opposition vote.