By Vivian Sequera and Brian Ellsworth

VALENCIA, Venezuela (Reuters) – Venezuelan evangelical pastor Javier Bertucci has promised to mobilize his vast network of followers in upcoming regional elections to defeat the ruling Socialist Party candidate and become governor of the industrial state of Carabobo.

After years of suspicions about Bertucci’s involvement as a shadow ally to President Nicolas Maduro, the main opposition parties in Venezuela refused support his candidacy. Bertucci denies these allegations.

Two opposition candidates are running to be Carabobo governor. The Unity Platform coalition of the opposition fielded Enzo Scarano, a former mayor.

Bertucci said in August that “the government wants to create division in all the states.” We’re determined to create unity.

The vote will be the first in three years of boycotts of opposition elections and an unsuccessful U.S.-backed attempt to remove Maduro’s power via sanctions and the formation of a parallel government led by the opposition. There is little evidence of unity before the vote.

Two candidates who call themselves the opposition are expected to challenge Socialist Party leaders in at least 23 states and the capital Caracas. This would strengthen Maduro’s ally allies.

Luis Vicente Leon from Datanalisis, the polling firm said the opposition should at least keep the four governorships that it has currently to renew its faith in voting as a way to face Maduro.

Leon said in an interview that “the objective of the regional election is for the opposing party to revive interest and reconnect with its base.”

Maduro would be able to consolidate his power by failing to win any of the state houses if the opposition fails to do so.

Maduro is not at risk from the regional vote which includes 335 municipalities elections. In spite of a stunning collapse in the country’s economic and a wide-ranging U.S. sanction program that was meant to remove him, he has managed to stay in power.

The opposition sees it as an opportunity to get back in the game after many years of hope that Maduro would be pushed from power by the armed forces.

NEW FRACTURES

The opposition has historically struggled to overcome internal bickering.

This year’s election has caused a split between the opposition who for many years have faced the Socialist Party, and some relative newcomers such as candidates accused of corruption or having hidden ties with the government.

The “minority opposition”, a group of politicians that sometimes refer to themselves as politicians, has declared candidates in 23 states.

Henry Ramos from the Unity Platform was asked about his position on the issue of multiple candidates. He said “I cannot answer for the actions by the scorpions,” referring to politicians believed to be working in the interests of the government.

Some minority members say that they are simply different and unfairly being targeted as Maduro sympathizers.

Other members of the minority opposition have come under intense scrutiny.

Jose Brito (a lawmaker from Anzoategui’s eastern state) is standing as opposition leader, even though he was kicked out in 2019 of First Justice Party due to corruption charges.

Brito denied wrongdoing, and did not respond to requests for comment.

The Democratic Action party is running nine more gubernatorial candidate under its banner. Its leadership was named last January by the progovernment supreme court, in rare action that many critics deemed a state sanctioned power grab.

According to opposition activists, Bernabe Gutierrez will not be able to face Maduro as his leadership of Democratic Action is a result of a Maduro-aligned decision.

Gutierrez did not reply to an inquiry for comment. Gutierrez will not be running in November.

Gutierrez said that he would negotiate with opposition leaders, but that he did not intend to stand down at a September rally in downtown Caracas to mark the 80th anniversary the founding of Democratic Action.

Gutierrez told a large crowd that he was open to an agreement, but not for those who don’t want it and seek to create division.