Colombian president Gustavo Petro says disqualification of María Corina Machado is an "anti-democratic coup"

Colombian President Gustavo Petro described the political disqualification of María Corina Machado in Venezuela as this Monday as an “anti-democratic coup” against an opposition candidate in the upcoming July 28 presidential elections.

"Mrs. María Corina and others were disqualified from participating in electoral campaigns by administrative authorities," said Petro, saying that in Colombia, “the same thing happens.”

“We attack what they do there because it is undoubtedly an undemocratic coup, but we ignore that it is also done here,” added the Colombian president during the inauguration of the magistrate, the State Counselor, Gloria María Gómez Montoya.

Petro also recalled the cases of other important figures of the Venezuelan opposition, such as Leopoldo López, who was unjustly imprisoned in 2014 for alleged charges of homicide, terrorism, among others.

Last week, the government of Brazil, which has been tolerant of the Nicolás Maduro regime, expressed its concern about the development of the electoral process in Venezuela.

The Brazilian government said it has been kept up to date with how the regime rejected the new opposition candidate, Corina Yoris, who was stepping in as a standard bearer for Corina Machado.

“It is noted that the candidate (Corina Yoris), who was nominated by the opposition Unitary Platform … was prevented from registering, which is not compatible with the Barbados agreements. To date, there has been no official explanation for the impediment,” the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

This Monday, Machado asked Norway, a mediating country in the negotiations between the regime and the opposition, to maximize “diplomatic resources” to guarantee compliance with the Barbados Agreement, which establishes guarantees for "free and fair" presidential elections.

In a letter addressed to the Norwegian Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Store, Machado exposes a series of “flagrant” violations of the Barbados Agreement by the Chavista regime.

The letter also referenced her political disqualification and the recent arbitrary arrest of eight people linked to her electoral team and the cutting of electricity in the Argentine Embassy, ​​where at least six opposition leaders are taking refuge.