Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has become his party's official candidate for a presidential election in July.

But there are doubts about the fairness of the election, as Maduro's main opponent from the opposition bloc is barred from running.

Venezuela's national electoral council announced earlier this month a presidential election will be held on July 28.

In response, the ruling United Socialist Party decided on Saturday to nominate Maduro as its candidate. The incumbent president accepted the nomination.

Maduro said in an address in front of his supporters that there will be "only one destiny" despite of interference or persecution.

He also said, "Here, the candidate is not Maduro. Here, the candidate is the people."

An antigovernment leader Maria Corina Machado, who calls for economic liberalization, has swept an opposition coalition's primary election.

But the country's Supreme Court, which is under the influence of Maduro's leftist administration, decided in January to disqualify her from seeking election this year. The top court upheld a 15-year ban on Machado from holding public office.

Maduro was reelected in the previous presidential election in 2018, with candidates from main opposition parties banned from running in the race.