Venezuela will hold its presidential election on July 28, the country’s national electoral council announced on Tuesday, ending speculation over when polls will be held as the South American country becomes more repressive.
Socialist strongman President Nicolás Maduro is expected to run for re-election of the Opec nation, though he has yet to announce his candidacy. It is also unclear who he will run against, as opposition candidate María Corina Machado — who overwhelmingly won an October primary — has been disqualified.
The announcement of the highly-anticipated election comes amid rising tensions between Caracas and Washington. In October the US announced a temporary relaxation of sanctions on Venezuela’s energy and mining sectors and on secondary debt trading.