Petro criticizes Machado’s disqualification from seeking the presidency of Venezuela

The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, stressed the need to preserve the right to choose, be elected and participate on equal terms with the State, emphasizing that this right is fundamental for the entire society, during the investiture of State Counselor Gloria Maria Gomez.

Regarding the electoral issue, Petro highlighted the case of Corina Machado in Venezuela as an example of the violation of political rights. He mentioned that she was disqualified from participating in electoral campaigns by administrative authorities, a situation that he compared to the one he faced in Colombia.

mThe leader assured that what happened with María Corina Machado is a clear manifestation of the violation of political rights. He expressed her concern about how authorities in Venezuela took steps to silence her, which he interpreted as an attempt to restrict her participation in the political sphere.

“The right to choose is not only individual. It belongs to society and today this discussion is very well evident in the events of Venezuela to Mrs. María Corina (Machado) and others previously: she was disqualified from participating in electoral campaigns by administrative authorities.

In addition, he made a comparison between Leopoldo López’s situation to participate in politics and – in his opinion – what “almost” happened to Petro in Colombia when he was going to run for the presidency for the third time.

“Leopoldo López was disqualified in Venezuela. Exactly the same thing that they wanted to disqualify me here,” he emphasized.

Petro highlighted that Machado’s situation reflects a latent reality in many countries in the region, where public administration has been used to restrict the political rights of citizens. He emphasized that these acts undermine fundamental democratic principles and affect not only individuals, but also the entire society.

In addition, he called to reflect on the double standards in the treatment of these cases. He pointed out that if the violation of political rights in Venezuela is criticized, the similar problems that exist in Colombia and other countries in the region must also be recognized and addressed.

In the middle of his words, Petro urged to defend political rights in all their fullness and to expand the discussion to include other fundamental aspects, such as women’s rights, environmental protection and social and cultural rights.