Star Metro - Venezuela opposition says unable to register stand-in candidate

Venezuela's top court in January barred Machado, 56, from holding public office for 15 years, and her opposition party faces a Monday deadline to name a candidate.

"More than 54 hours have gone by without us bring able to register Dr Corina Yoris," her party reported on X, formerly Twitter, saying their attempts to access the National Electoral Council website have been blocked.

But "nothing and nobody can get us off the campaign trail where we will win, with the strength of the majority of votes, change for our Venezuela," it added.

Machado has hailed Yoris, an 80-year-old former university professor who has not held office before, as "a person who has my full trust."

Yoris was part of the commission that organized opposition primaries in October that Machado easily won, unsettling President Nicolas Maduro's government with her surging popularity.

Authorities this week arrested two of Machado's top campaign aides and announced warrants for seven others, accusing them of seeking to destabilize the country.

Maduro has governed Venezuela since 2013, presiding with military support even as severe economic contraction has spurred more than seven million of its citizens to flee the country.

Experts say Machado, with 70 percent approval ratings in some polls, may be able to transfer that support to the candidacy of her replacement.

"Unfortunately (Maduro's victory) has already been decided, but I am still going to do everything I can to do something against this government," 37-year-old security guard Darwin Quintana told AFP.

Maduro, a former bus driver and political organizer, aspires to a third six-year term. The president came to power in 2013, after the death of Hugo Chavez, and was reelected in 2018 in questioned elections, under suspicions of fraud.

About 60 countries recognized Maduro's opponent, Juan Guaido, as the winner, although his support ebbed over time.

A.Rogen--SMC