Daily Times

Venezuelan officials on Wednesday opened an investigation into alleged “irregularities” during an opposition primary, which was won last weekend by a candidate banned from holding office by President Nicolas Maduro’s government. Tarek William Saab, Maduro’s attorney general, described the primary as “obviously a fraud” and told journalists in Caracas he had tasked two prosecutors with the probe. The wide-ranging charges include usurping the functions of Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE), criminal conspiracy, making up fictitious voters, and money laundering. The CNE did not oversee the Sunday vote, which was instead managed by the opposition’s own National Primary Commission (CNP). The CNP said earlier Wednesday that 2.4 million voters took part in the primary that nominated Maria Corina Machado, 56, as the opposition candidate to challenge Maduro in 2024 elections. The only problem is that Machado has been banned by Venezuelan authorities from holding office for 15 years, effectively ruling her out of the race.