(CNN Spanish) –– María Corina Machado, the winner of Venezuela’s opposition primary, went to the political-administrative chamber of the Supreme Court this Friday to choose her presidential candidate and request a review of the political disqualification that bars her from running for public office.
The candidate appeared in the chamber on the last day of a deadline agreed between different political forces and the government of President Nicolás Maduro to request an appeal for a review in court.
As he left, Machado said he would do “whatever it takes” to stay on the electoral path.
“We are going to go all the way. The ball is now in the regime’s court and it is their turn to comply,” he told the media.
Later, in a press conference, Machado said this Friday: “Once again today, I have promised that there will be no disqualification. And the people have implemented me, that is confirmed, confirmed in the document that we introduced”. The document submitted is “a case for a claim through factual means. That is, there is a general fact, but there is no action. There is no action. That is what we are verifying today through this action.”
He then highlighted: “We are in the middle of a complex, difficult negotiation process, and of course we are in touch with the real partners who have established commitments and given guarantees and given important incentives to this negotiation process. These include the release of political prisoners and obtaining guarantees to hold clean and free elections.” “
Machado, who won the opposition primary on October 22, was disqualified by Venezuela’s comptroller general over allegations that he did not pay food vouchers in his asset affidavit. The Leader of the Opposition asserted that the disqualification was illegal.
