Press. Voanews.
Venezuelas
ruling socialists and some opposition parties have agreed to delay the
presidential election by a month to the second half of May. The agreement
between the government of President Nicolas Maduro and several smaller
opposition parties will give candidates more time to campaign, allow millions
of Venezuelan exiles to register to vote abroad and pave the way for a jointly
proposed team of electoral observers from the United Nations. The main
opposition coalition is boycotting the poll, saying it is a farce intended to
legitimize a "dictatorship."
The decision to
delay the vote was widely interpreted by critics of the government as an
attempt to steamroll the deeply divided opposition coalition and throw it into
disarray. It comes amid an ever worsening economic and political crisis which
has left many Venezuelans malnourished and has led hundreds of thousands to
flee the country.
The U.S. has
sanctioned dozens of top officials, including Maduro himself, and has called
the snap election further proof of the president's intention to dismantle
Venezuela's democracy. The announcement of the delay comes as the Trump
administration is reportedly considering even more sanctions. Reuters news
service reported Thursday that the U.S. could target Venezuela's military-run
oil services company and restrict insurance coverage for Venezuelan oil
shipments. The sanctions are reportedly still under discussion, and could be
implemented both before and after the election. Officials will consider how the
measures would impact Venezuelan citizens.
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