Ecuador confirms that it “does not recognize” the Maduro government after the disqualification of Corina Machado: “We defend free elections and countries that live in democracy”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador, Gabriela Sommerfeld, declared that the Government of Daniel Noboa “does not recognize” that of Venezuela, led by Nicolás Maduro in the face of the tensions generated by the holding of the presidential elections, for which the disqualification of the main opponent, María Corina Machado.

“The government strongly defends free elections and countries living in full democracy. Ecuador does not recognize the Maduro government and we must be clear on this point,” he said in an interview with the NTN24 television network, reported by the news agency Europe. . To press.

During the interview, Sommerfeld indicated that Quito he will not have “important contacts” with Maduro until “free elections are respected and democracy is experienced”.

In this sense he underlined it will ensure and support the strengthening of democracy in countriesregardless of whether the government is right-wing or left-wing, as “it is ultimately about development models that look at how human beings can achieve a better standard of living with different formulas.”

Noboa he therefore follows the same line as the last two leadersGuillermo Lasso and Lenín Moreno, who, moreover, were part of regional initiatives that aimed to find a way out of the migration crisis in Caracas.

The government of Venezuela and the opposition signed the Barbados agreement last October, which determines hold presidential elections in the second half of this year with international observation.

Machado, disqualified for 15 years

However, the Supreme Court upheld the disqualification for 15 years of the opposition presidential candidate, María Corina Machado.

Previously, the Ministry had expressed its “rejection” to the confirmation of the disqualification, underlining that this “decision is contrary to the spirit of the Barbados Agreements, aimed at facilitating the holding of democratic and transparent elections in Venezuela”.

“We ask that too this decision be revoked “because the procedure was violated and the procedure means a trial, not a summary trial, not a wall,” the head of the opposition delegation in the dialogue with the government, Gerardo Blyde, said at a press conference on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Maduro has expressed his willingness to maintain dialogue with the opposition, even if he accused it of not respecting the conditions of the pact with his alleged involvement in “conspiracies” and destabilization maneuvers, in reference to allegations of assassination plots against him, which led to the arrest of dozens of people, including journalists, former soldiers, lawyers and activists.

Last week, the Chavita regime carried out a broad purge among the ranks of the army: it arrested and retired 33 officers, including generals, for conspiracy to plan terrorist actions to attack the Maduro government.

Reports of assassinations are frequent in Chavismo, which celebrates 25 years in power in 2024 and its continuity is at stake in elections that do not yet have a date.