(CNN Spanish) — Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Thursday that the Democratic United Platform (PUD) has restrictions on the registration of opposition candidate Corina Yoris, who could not run in Venezuela's presidential election this week. Serious” and “legal or political” description is absent.
Lula said at a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, who ended his official tour of Brazil this Thursday: “The inability to register the candidate is serious, justice has not decided against him.”
“There is no legal or political interpretation. An opponent is barred from being a candidate,” he added.
Lula's statements came after the Brazilian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Tuesday expressing its concern over the difficulties reported by protesters for their registration in Venezuela. The PUD, which has a majority in the opposition, said it could not enter the National Electoral Council (CNE) system to register Yoris. The deadline for filing applications ended today, Monday.
“Based on the information available, the candidate indicated by the anti-political unitary platform and no judicial decisions weighed in, which prevented it from registering as inconsistent with the Barbados Treaties,” a statement said. Published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil.
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado (R) replaces Corina Yoris (L) in the upcoming elections after a press conference in Caracas, March 22, 2024.
Yoris was the candidate chosen by the PUD to replace Maria Corina Machado, who won the opposition primaries but was disqualified from running last January. The action against Machado was alleged for not including the meal bonus in his affidavit of assets. Machado insists the disqualification is illegal.
In an interview with Fernando Rincón on CNN en Español this Monday, Yoris commented: “I'm not unqualified, I don't have any stigma, I'm not in public office, so, they can't disqualify me.”
Until this Friday, the Venezuelan government had not reacted directly to the position of the Brazilian president. CNN is trying to contact the CNE and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to find out their reaction to the reports.
