Early results from a vote held by opposition parties in Venezuela to choose a unity candidate for the 2024 presidential election show María Corina Machado in a commanding lead.

After just over a quarter of the votes were counted, Ms Machado had 93%, despite the fact that she is currently barred from holding office.

Ms Machado leads the other nine candidates by a wide margin.

There will be a contest between the winner and the government candidate.

It was to close ranks behind a single candidate for president that the opposition, historically deeply divided, called the primary – in which ordinary people could vote.

The governing PSUV party has not yet announced its candidate, but it is widely expected to be current president Nicolás Maduro.

Although most opposition parties boycotted the last presidential election after several of their candidates were jailed or barred from running, they plan to participate in 2024 despite the odds being stacked against them.

At present, it is unclear if the ban on María Corina Machado will be lifted before the election.

President Maduro’s close ally, Elvis Amoroso, the comptroller general at the time, imposed it this June.

A 15-year ban against Ms Machado was imposed by Mr Amoroso on the basis of accusations of corruption without any proof.

In recent years, not least from the United States, there has been enormous pressure on the government to reverse that ban.