Liberal Machado well ahead in Venezuela opposition primary

Liberal candidate Maria Corina Machado was well ahead in Sunday's primary in Venezuela to choose a candidate to face President Nicolas Maduro in the 2024 election, according to preliminary results.

Machado, however, has been disqualified from running by Maduro's government over alleged irregularities when she was a lawmaker from 2011 to 2014.

A member of the most radical wing of the opposition, Machado had won around 92 per cent of the votes in the primary with 26 per cent of ballots counted so far, according to the commission which organised the vote.

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Her closest rival, Carlos Prosperi, who had criticised alleged irregularities in the process, took five per cent with the other candidates garnering less than one per cent of the vote.

"We are part of a citizen story and what we saw today is a citizen avalanche inside and outside Venezuela," Machado said before the results were announced, referring to voters in the country and abroad.

The 56-year-old engineer and former lawmaker was banned in June from holding any public office for 15 years.

The United States, which this week eased sanctions on Venezuela following the resumption of dialogue between the government and the opposition, is pushing to have her disqualification lifted.

Machado is accused of corruption and of supporting international sanctions against Venezuela.

She is a fervent opponent of Chavism, the brand of populist leftist ideology left behind by former president Hugo Chavez and championed by Maduro.

Machado has said she wants to liberalise the economy, including the privatisation of public companies.

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