Venezuela sets presidential election for July 28

Venezuela’s highly anticipated presidential election will take place on July 28, the country’s top electoral official has announced.

National Electoral Council President Elvis Amoroso announced on Tuesday the date three days after lawmakers proposed more than 20 possible dates, ranging from as soon as mid-April to as late as December.

Candidates will be able to register between March 21 and 25, and the electoral campaign will officially open on July 4.

President Nicolas Maduro is widely expected to seek re-election. His government, its allies and other groups drafted the proposal suggesting dates and covering other aspects of the election.

Last year, Maduro's government and the opposition reached a mediated deal in Barbados to hold a free and fair vote in 2024 with international observers present.

Will Machado contest?

In picking a date after June 30, the council allows the government to comply with part of an agreement it entered with a faction of the opposition last year that called for the vote to take place in the second half of 2024.

However, it is not known if Maduro's strongest adversary Maria Corina Machado will participate.

Machado won the primary held last year by the opposition faction known as the Unitary Platform, which is backed by the US.

Amoroso did not address her candidacy during Tuesday's announcement. Machado's campaign declined to comment on the election date, saying that she was "on tour today in the Venezuelan Andes."

The presidential elections in Venezuela will determine the leader for a six-year term starting January 10, 2025.