The International Olympic Committee suspends the elections of the Venezuelan Olympic Committee due to the confrontation with the government of Nicolás Maduro

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspended the elections of the Venezuelan Olympic Committee (COV) due to the conflict with the Venezuelan government, and which it accuses of “interference” in the electoral process of the national Olympic movement

The COV had scheduled its election day for January 5.

In exclusive statements to Around The Rings, the president of the COV, Eduardo Alvarez, reported that the IOC canceled the elections “until further notice.”

“The IOC appointed a Commission of Observers and will send the electoral roll of the internationally recognized national federations of Venezuela,” said the manager.

Alvarez did not identify the people who make up that Commission, although it is assumed that it will include representatives of regional sports organizations such as Centro Caribe Sports, Panam Sports, Organización Deportiva Bolivariana (Odebo) and the Organización Deportiva Suramericana (Odesur).

Faced with the complication of the conflict, Alvarez had requested the “accompaniment” of the IOC, which systematically monitors the litigation between the National Olympic Committees and the governments.

The confrontation worsened when a week ago the Supreme Court of Justice of Venezuela ignored the electoral authority of the National Olympic Committee of that country elected on December 7 by the Sports Federations.

The situation was denounced in separate communications from Centro Caribe Sports and Odebo that warned of an alleged government action against the autonomy of the COV.

The Supreme Court appointed another ad hoc electoral commission instead of the COV one to continue with the electoral process that must elucidate a new executive board between two candidates, one led by Alvarez, and the other by the president of the Venezuelan Federation of Baseball, Aracelys León, and which includes Pedro Infante, a former sports minister, who is now a parliamentarian in the government of Nicolás Maduro.

Alvarez, elected for the first time on January 30, 2006, aspires to his fifth term as head of the COV.

Alvarez rejected complaints against him from the opposition list linked to the government. The president of the COV said that at no time was the participation of recognized national federations restricted in the assembly where the Electoral Commission was elected, later annulled by the Supreme Court.

The COV has 55 national federations of which 25 percent are Olympic. In the elections of December 7, 54 federations exercised the vote between the two nominated commissions.