The Bolivarian revolution has exhausted to the maximum the deadline imposed by Washington to advance the Barbados agreements between government and opposition. There were only three hours left until the American ultimatum expired when Norway, the country that facilitated the agreements, announced that the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), the main government hammer against the opposition, has opened a loophole for the opposition leader, María Corina Machado, to personally present a contentious administrative appeal “against the disqualification measure issued by the Comptroller General of the Republic, accompanied by a request for precautionary protection.”
Machado would have until December 15 to launch this process, the result of which the TSJ undertakes to resolve “expeditiously.” Furthermore, the opposition candidate, who obtained a historic result (2 and a half million supports) in the October primaries, should commit to abide by the court decision.
“Today we have taken another step in the right direction, ratifying what was agreed in Barbados. We continue to move forward,” he announced Jorge Rodríguez, head of the Chavismo negotiating delegation.
Gerardo Blyde, at the head of the opposition commission, was pleased with this public announcement (“We continue! Historic!”), in addition to comparing this process with the one that benefited Manuel Rosales, governor of Zulia, to run in the regional elections.
The TSJ decision contains several traps against the opposition leader, that he should assume the commitment to “fulfill the duty to honor and defend the homeland and territorial integrity.” In the background of this section next Sunday’s non-binding referendum is set, who will ask the Venezuelans about the dispute with neighboring Guyana over the territory of Essequibo, administered by Georgetown. Nicolás Maduro has turned the campaign of this consultation into ain the manifestation of patriotic fervor with which he intends to recover popular support, today on the floor. If elections were held today, Machado would defeat the “people’s president” by between 60 and 40 points.