Venezuelan opposition lawyer: CNE leadership irrelevant due to U.S. role

The specific individuals heading Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) are inconsequential given the United States' role in the country's transition, according to Perkins Rocha, a lawyer and legal advisor to opposition leader María Corina Machado.

Rocha, who is also a spokesperson for Comando ConVzla and remains under house arrest, asserted in a YouTube interview that any necessary modifications within the CNE should prioritize technical improvements over the names of those in charge.

He further contended that Venezuela's deep-seated institutional crisis transcends the mere appointment of new authorities to bodies such as the CNE, the Public Ministry, or the Ombudsman's Office.

"It doesn't matter who is at the head of the new CNE, as they will be overseen by the U.S.," Rocha emphasized, highlighting his view on external influence.

This statement comes as the opposition, led by Machado, has proposed negotiating a "serious and responsible" transition with Venezuelan official Delcy Rodríguez and the U.S. The proposal, outlined in a statement, suggests Machado would lead a dialogue process aimed at organizing free, transparent, and sovereign presidential elections under international observation. The opposition deems the renewal of the CNE and the appointment of "independent and respectable personalities" crucial for this process, criticizing the current CNE leadership as aligned with the ruling party.

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It doesn't matter who is at the head of the new CNE, as they will be overseen by the U.S.