Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Monday 21 May 2018

Small groups of Venezuelans protest around globe

determined valid and any the opposition. U.S. supports “free and fair
errors rectified. ___ elections.” “Venezuela’s
Lucena didn’t address de- 1:01 p.m. so-called elections today
tails about the complaints President Nicolas Maduro’s are not legitimate. The Unit-
but said that overall they two main challengers are ed States stands with dem-
were “nothing in compari- calling on electoral authori- ocratic nations around the
son to previous electoral ties to step in to stop ruling world in support of the Ven-
processes.” Opposition party activists from pressur- ezuelan people and their
leaders say socialist sup- ing poor voters into casting sovereign right to elect their
porters are breaking Vene- ballots for the government. representatives through
zuelan electoral law by set- Henri Falcon and Javier free and fair elections,” she
ting up tents within less than Bertucci both said they wrote. Sunday’s election
200 meters from polling had received more than has drawn broad criticism
sites. Voters say they hope 300 complaints about the since some of Venezuelan
they’ll get a cash bonus existence of so-called “red President Nicolas Maduro’s
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro crosses himself before or even a free apartment points” steps away and most-popular rivals were
voting in presidential elections in Caracas, Venezuela, Sunday, by scanning their govern- even inside voting centers. barred from running, and
May 20, 2018. ment-issued “Fatherland Venezuela’s electoral law several more were forced
(AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) Card” at the tents. requires any political pros- into exile.
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) get out and vote in the fi- The opposition contends elytism to take place at Echoing the views of Vene-
— The latest on Sunday’s nal hours of Election Day as such moves are a way of least 200 meters from vot- zuela’s tattered opposition
presidential election in several polling sites remain extorting Venezuelans into ing centers. movement, the U.S., Euro-
Venezuela (all times local): nearly empty. voting for President Nicolas Many of the voters said pean Union and many Lat-
4:40 p.m. In a televised broadcast Maduro. they hoped their loyalty to in American countries have
Small groups of Venezue- Sunday, Maduro reminded ___ the revolution amid an un- already said they won’t
lan exiles are holding dem- Venezuelans there was still 2:26 p.m. precedented economic recognize the results.
onstrations in cities around time to vote and asked Voters in an opposition crisis would be rewarded ___
the globe to protest their them to “encourage” stronghold of Venezuela’s with a cash bonus, or even 9:22 a.m.
homeland’s presidential those who hadn’t yet cast capital are delivering a re- a new apartment. The leafy streets in the op-
election, which they say is a ballot. sounding message to the “This is not a democratic position stronghold of east-
a farce. Demonstrators in He said voting is needed to former prime minister of act,” said Bertucci, a TV ern Caracas were largely
cities including Miami, Bo- secure the nation’s peace Spain: Get out. evangelist, after casting his empty on Sunday, but vot-
gota, Lima and Paris held and democracy. Venezuelans who were ballot in the city of Valen- ers in other parts of the city
up signs that read “Maduro Opposition leaders have lined up to vote Sunday cia. headed to the polls.
Assassin” and “Fraud” while been pushing Venezuelans heckled Jose Luis Rodri- ___ Near Petare, Caracas’
waving Venezuelan flags. to abstain from voting in guez Zapatero as he exited 10:43 a.m. biggest slum, festive revo-
Most of the protests Sunday an election they contend a polling site in the upper- The U.S. Department of lutionary music played as
had no more than a few is unfair and certain to be class Chacao district. State spokeswoman has a few dozen voters stood
dozen participants. rigged in Maduro’s favor. Zapatero is in Venezuela to called Venezuelan elec- in a long line to flash their
Protester Paulina Facchin in Many Venezuelans appear observe the election and tions illegitimate. so-called “fatherland
Peru’s capital said Venezu- to be heeding that call. drew rebuke from rights ac- In a Twitter post Heather cards” to socialist party
elans shouldn’t cast ballots There have been few vot- tivists after declaring that Nauert also said that the volunteers.q
in an election for which au- ers in line at several polling electors will “vote freely.”
thorities have “already de- sites around the capital. Venezuela’s election has
termined the winner.” ___ drawn international con-
Opposition leaders have 3:30 p.m. demnation from foreign
repeatedly tried to rekindle The head of Venezuela’s governments who say it is
anti-government protests pro-government elec- stacked in the ruling party’s
that drew thousands to the toral council says officials favor.
streets in Venezuela last are making “corrections” One woman outside the
year but have drawn small where needed following Chacao voting site told a
crowds. complaints that socialist local television station that
Outside the country many supporters are engaging if Zapatero likes commu-
Venezuelans have be- in political proselytism near nism he should “go install it
come resigned to building voting sites. in Spain.”
new lives abroad. National Electoral Council Zapatero has been in-
___ president Tibisay Lucena volved in recent failed at-
4 p.m. said Sunday that a handful tempts to mediate an ac-
President Nicolas Maduro is of complaints about “po- cord between Venezuela’s Voters line up at a polling station during the presidential election
calling on Venezuelans to litical centers” had been socialist government and in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, Sunday, May 20, 2018.
(AP Photo/Juan Carlos Hernandez)