The state of Barinas, in which Hugo Chávez was born, experienced the closing of an unusual campaign for governor this Thursday marked by a rarefied atmosphere, only encouraged by the great act that celebrated the official candidate Jorge Arreaza.
The elections They represent a controversial repetition ordered by the Electoral Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) that annulled the results on November 21, 2021, when the opposition Freddy Superlano defeated the then candidate for reelection, Argenis Chávez, brother of the man who presided over Venezuela. from 1999 until his death in 2013.
Arreaza, who aspires to break the streak of governors surnamed Chávez who have ruled Barinas since 1998, held a great campaign closing ceremony in which, trying to leave behind his image as a man of little charisma, he encouraged himself to sing popular music .
During the event, he claimed to have toured the 12 municipalities in the state to learn regarding their problems and try to solve them if he wins the elections.
The Chavista candidate, who was married for a decade to a daughter of the late president, appealed to family memories and affirmed that they have found a way to decipher the “death trap” that, according to his version, the United States set the Venezuelan economy and, therefore, he predicted that this year will be one of growth.
The ruling party predicts victory
“The blockade is no longer going to impede the development of Venezuela, the numbers already say, even the opposition economists have to say it, the economy is going up (…) and Barinas is not going to be left behind, it has to be at the top spear, “he said in reference to the sanctions imposed by the US.
The candidate and former foreign minister called on his supporters to try to seduce his relatives who traditionally vote for the opposition and, in this re-election, opt for the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV).
During the ceremony, the number two of Chavismo, Diosdado Cabello, also took the floor, who told the militants that “the right is not going to govern Barinas” following the elections this Sunday and predicted a victory for Arreaza, whom he defined as “revolutionary, anti-imperialist, socialist and profoundly Chavista.”
An opposition caravan
The candidate of the opposition Democratic Unity Table (MUD), Sergio Garrido, who replaced Superlano when the Supreme Court affirmed that he is disqualified, organized a motorbike caravan for his final act of the campaign.
Shortly before, he was also in the town of Pedraza, which he described as “an example of bravery and courage,” as well as “an emblematic municipality” for the inhabitants of the region who “support change” in the regional government.
«The Barinese are loaded with a lot of dignity to defend what is ours. Our beloved Barinas, paths of palm and sun, “he said.
So far, the reason for Superlano’s disqualification is not known, since, in August 2020, the government granted him, along with 109 other people, a grace measure that contemplated the lifting of any blockade that prevented him from holding positions public and develop political work.
However, and due to that decision of the TSJ, Garrido heads the candidacy of the MUD, for which he received the endorsement of who was the winning candidate on November 21.
On the participation of Claudio Fermín
The third party in contention in these elections is Claudio Fermín, considered a dissident of the opposition by the majority anti-Chavez bloc, who accuses him of having sold out and presented himself to divide the voters.
On the last day, Fermín indirectly replied to these accusations by stating that his candidacy “is not locked up” or “cloistered in a small group”, the most common criticism that the opposition leadership receives.
“It is not a nomination of buds or that obeys a narrow vision, but is supported by different and diverse sectors of the community. Parties of the Democratic Alliance, emerging independent parties and parties that previously supported the MUD and now decided to support us, “said the candidate, according to a statement from his team.
The last word following the infrequent electoral closure will be held by the Barinese this Sunday, in an election that will not have international observation, which has generated numerous suspicions among potential voters in the rest of Venezuela.
