Voting centers in Venezuela began opening their doors today, from 6:00 a.m. local time (11:00 a.m. in Lisbon), for the presidential elections, the day on which more than 21 million Venezuelans are called to the polls.
According to the National Electoral Council (CNE), several of the 15,767 centers authorized for this process opened on schedule, while the first report from the electoral authorities is awaited to know the opening percentage achieved, as well as the first incidents.
Venezuelans choose today between re-electing President Nicolás Maduro or voting against the heir to Chavismo, who in the polls has been behind the opposition, led by diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, of the Democratic Unitary Table.
In an environment of economic and social crisis, the electoral campaign took place in an “all or nothing” atmosphere, with Maduro threatening a “bloodbath” and civil war if he does not win a third six-year term and the opposition promising to fight “until the end”.
The choice of around 21 of the 30 million Venezuelans will be divided between 10 candidates, but the result is likely to be decided between Maduro, from the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, who succeeded former leader Hugo Chavez, and retired diplomat Urrutia, who replaced candidate María Corina Machado, who the regime prevented from running.
In a country with a significant community of Portuguese and Portuguese descendants, the population lives on low incomes, high prices and insufficient basic services, with degraded health and education systems.
A delegation from the European People's Party (EPP) monitoring the Venezuelan presidential elections, which included Portuguese MEP Sebastião Bugalho, was initially held at Caracas airport and then expelled from the country on Saturday. Other international delegations were also prevented from entering Venezuela.
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