Jorge Barragán (center) at his first press conference as a candidate for the mayorship of Libertador, the municipality of Caracas, with Antonio Ecarri (center-left). Photo: Alianza del Lápiz.
Guacamaya, July 2, 2025. Jorge Barragán of the Alianza del Lápiz will be the standard-bearer for nearly all opposition parties in the capital after being officially announced by Antonio Ecarri on Wednesday.
Although Barragán ran only with his own party in the May 25 legislative elections, this time he will have the support of Unión y Cambio (UNICA), Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT), Cambiemos, Avanzada Progresista, El Cambio, and Unidad Visión Venezuela (UVV).
The Libertador municipality of Caracas has been governed by the PSUV, the ruling party, since 2000. The opposition also faces significant political rejection, a lack of trust in institutions, and low expected turnout among potential voters. Calls for abstention by opposition leaders like María Corina Machado also persist.
During the press conference, the candidate stated: “We want a city with no street children, a compassionate city where we don’t see minors cleaning windshields on the streets—a future where these children can become entrepreneurs. […] A different future, where we can revive the industrial zone of La Yaguara, attract investments, and lower taxes.”
He also addressed the struggles of local businesses: “Caracas must be a modern city that competes with all other capitals in the hemisphere. […] A 21st-century city, not a 20th-century one like the one we unfortunately have today.”
In 2021, Alianza del Lápiz leader Antonio Ecarri ran for the same mayoral seat, finishing in second place despite surpassing the MUD, which had greater resources and national recognition.
At 26 years old, Barragán will be the youngest candidate. Born in Táchira, he is affectionately known as “el Gocho.” He was a student leader at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV), where he graduated as an international relations specialist.
