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Venezuelans thank international election observers

PRESIDENT Nicolas Maduro’s campaign chief Aristobulo Isturiz has praised the “courage” of the International Accompaniment mission for coming to Venezuela to observe today’s presidential elections.
 
“You may see the extent to which some elements of the opposition will go to disrupt the election and prevent people from voting,” Mr Isturiz told a meeting of the electoral experts in Caracas.
 
“Venezuela is facing economic warfare and a campaign of violence that included the burning-down last summer of a maternity hospital with 54 women inside.
 
“We have already dismantled several attempts to attack the elections and the military will be fully deployed to ensure a peaceful vote.
 
“We are besieged on all sides, but our real battle is with US and European imperialism, not opposition candidate Henri Falcon,” Mr Isturiz added.
 
The Maduro campaign, which has staged a series of huge rallies across the country in the past week, appeared confident of victory in the poll, despite rampant inflation and shortages of food and medicines.
 
Mr Isturiz pledged that Mr Maduro would immediately recognise the election result whether he wins or loses.
 
Adopting a conciliatory tone, Falcon campaign chief Julio Cesar told the international observers that the opposition challenger rejected violence and supported an electoral solution to the country’s crisis.
 
“We do not agree with those in the opposition who are urging people not to vote,” he said.
 
“We can have a dialogue. We acknowledge the legacy of the left wing in Latin America, including the good initiatives of Hugo Chavez.
 
“We do not support US military intervention,” he added.
 
The observers, drawn from 86 countries, were also addressed by the campaign teams of two minor candidates.
 
The spokesman for Evangelical candidate Javier Bertucci expressed “absolute confidence” in the electoral system, while independent Reinaldo Quijada said there was “no possibility” of electoral fraud.

• Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez derided as “ridiculous” Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos’s claim to have been alerted to planned ballot fraud by “reliable intelligence sources.”

“He always says he was warned by intelligence sources. Every time that Mr Santos is ‘outraged’ … it’s to see if anyone’s paying attention, because otherwise no-one cares,” Mr Rodriguez scoffed.

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