VENEZUELA’S’s anti-imperialist government claimed victory on Sunday night after eight million citizens cast their votes “for peace.”

National Electoral Council (CNE) president Tibisay Lucena announced the turnout in elections to the new national constituent assembly just before midnight.

She said that almost 8.1 million people had voted — 41.5 per cent of registered voters — despite a boycott by the Democratic Unity Roundtable (Mud) opposition.