{"id":10768,"date":"2024-07-28T21:04:03","date_gmt":"2024-07-28T21:04:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/2024\/07\/28\/the-latest-venezuela-chooses-between-another-presidential-term-for-maduro-or-a-big-change\/"},"modified":"2024-07-28T21:35:26","modified_gmt":"2024-07-28T21:35:26","slug":"the-latest-venezuela-chooses-between-another-presidential-term-for-maduro-or-a-big-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/2024\/07\/28\/the-latest-venezuela-chooses-between-another-presidential-term-for-maduro-or-a-big-change\/","title":{"rendered":"The Latest: Venezuela chooses between another presidential term for Maduro or a big change"},"content":{"rendered":"<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8864793242727901\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Venezuelans are voting in a presidential election whose outcome will either lead to a seismic shift in politics or extend by six more years the policies that caused the world\u2019s worst peacetime economic collapse. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Whether it is President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro who is chosen or his main opponent, <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/venezuela-presidential-election-maduro-opposition-machado-edmundo-dbb31ef798966698ce2792b1cec74f54\">former diplomat Edmundo Gonz\u00e1lez<\/a>, Sunday\u2019s election will have ripple effects throughout the Americas. That\u2019s because government opponents and supporters alike have signaled their interest in emigrating if Maduro wins the election. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">More than 7.7 million people have already left the country. An estimated 17 million Venezuelans are eligible to vote. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Gonz\u00e1lez is representing a coalition of opposition parties after being selected in April as a stand-in for opposition powerhouse <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/venezuela-presidential-election-maduro-opposition-corina-machado-14158c34f9709f9b73b31a07383e0e51\">Maria Corina Machado<\/a>, who was blocked by the Maduro-controlled Supreme Tribunal of Justice. For once, the opposition factions have managed to unite behind a single candidate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Polls opened at 6 a.m., but voters started lining up at some voting centers across the country much earlier, sharing water, coffee and snacks for several hours.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Here&#8217;s the latest:<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Maduro&#8217;s ally jeered<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">An ally of the ruling party was met with jeers when going to the polls to vote. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">In the state of Miranda, which includes a portion of the capital, some voters screamed \u201cLeave! Leave!\u201d when Gov. Hector Rodr\u00edguez reached his polling center.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Rodriguez is a member of the delegation that has represented President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro in negotiations with the U.S.-backed Unitary Platform.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u2014Regina Garcia Cano<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Filippo Grandi, UNHCR chief, wishes \u2018stability and prosperity\u2019 for the Venezuelan people<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">PARIS, France \u2014 The head of the UN Refugee Agency Filippo Grandi spoke to The Associated Press today in Paris about his hopes for Venezuela.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u201cWhichever the outcome of elections and of any political process, regarding negotiations for an agreement and internal agreement, I do wish for the Venezuelan people a return to stability and prosperity that they used to enjoy in the past,\u201d Grandi said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">He also hoped for the restoration of good relations between Venezuelans and all members of the international community, \u201cso that everybody can help Venezuelans have a better future,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u2013 Megan Janetsky <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Venezuelans vote in neighboring countries<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Venezuelans turned out to vote on Sunday at a school in the Colombian capital, Bogot\u00e1, where some 4,300 citizens were registered to vote. In a nearby park attendees waved flags and shouted in unison for \u201cfreedom\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">In the northern port city of Barranquilla \u2014 where 387 Venezuelans were registered \u2014 the sentiment was similar. The president of a Venezuelan association in the city, Pil\u00edn Le\u00f3n, told the press that voting went \u201cquite smoothly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Several Venezuelans went to the embassy in Lima, Peru, to vote with flags in their hands and sang the Venezuelan anthem. 659 citizens were registered to vote there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">However, Venezuelan citizens cannot vote in countries like Ecuador. In April, Nicol\u00e1s Maduro <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/venezuela-closes-embassy-ecuador-mexico-3874d5469a5ef3665e2130b12c4c8776\">ordered the Venezuelan embassy to shut down in solidarity with Mexico<\/a> after the police raid on its embassy. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Instead, dozens of Venezuelans chose to attend a religious ceremony in a church in the country\u2019s capital, Quito. In the southern city of Cuenca, Venezuelans gathered in a park chanting for \u201cfreedom\u201d and \u201cdemocracy\u201d in their home country.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u2013 Gabriela Molina<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">No violence or incidents at voting sites says the Minister of Defense<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Minister of Defense, Chief General Vladimir Padrino L\u00f3pez, said during the first six hours of voting, \u201cno incident worth mentioning has occurred. The day has passed in peace.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u201dThe military chief asked Venezuelans not to share comments about alleged acts of violence in the surroundings of voting centers, saying that, \u201cwhat appears on social media is not always true.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u201dThe unitary opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonz\u00e1lez says that he trusts that the Venezuelan Armed Forces \u201cwill respect the will of the people&#8221;. The military, in charge of logistics and security of the elections, is <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/venezuela-election-military-loyalty-dff452ac53858ee36f1fe099fb4b1c4d\">one of the main supporters of President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The president\u2019s opponents have tried to unsuccessfully enlist the support of the military to force Maduro to step down from power, arguing that he was re-elected in 2018 in fraudulent elections.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Senior military commanders, including the Minister of Defense, publicly expressed their support and loyalty to Maduro. For many, the military would have much to lose if there was <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/venezuela-presidential-election-maduro-machado-edmundo-5ce255ae90614162590bfe1207d2e1d0\">a political change in Venezuela<\/a> after 25 years of self-proclaimed socialist governments.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Gonz\u00e1lez comments after casting his vote<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The opposition candidate <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/venezuela-presidential-election-maduro-opposition-machado-edmundo-dbb31ef798966698ce2792b1cec74f54\">Edmundo Gonz\u00e1lez<\/a> expressed his satisfaction with the massive presence of Venezuelans lined up since late Saturday night and Sunday morning at voting centers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u201cToday more than ever Venezuelans are demonstrating that we are one people. What we see are lines of joy and hope. Today begins a day of reconciliation for all Venezuelans,\u201d said Gonz\u00e1lez, surrounded by journalists, shortly after casting his vote.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u201cThe democratic spirit of Venezuelans is more alive than ever, it\u2019s time for change,\u201d added the ex-diplomat. If victorious, Gonzalez promised to create conditions for the <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/venezuela-election-migrants-maduro-opposition-hope-f37b6b4960d50b047632e96b60225ea7\">almost 8 million Venezuelans to return to their home country<\/a> after fleeing compounding crises.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u201cWe do not want more Venezuelans leaving the country, and for those who have left I tell them we will do everything possible for them to come back and welcome them with open arms,\u201d he said.\u201cTo all the Venezuelans around the world, your strength and commitment encourages us. We are one people in search of freedom,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u2013 Jorge Rueda<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">If Chavez were alive, he\u2019d vote for Maduro, says the late president&#8217;s daughter<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Maria Gabriela Ch\u00e1vez, one of the late president\u2019s daughters, commented as she cast her ballot in a school classroom under the watchful gaze of Ch\u00e1vez\u2019s face painted on the wall.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u201cTenemos que ganar&#8221; (We have to win), she told AP of the advice her father would likely have given had he been alive today.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Sunday\u2019s vote is being held on what would\u2019ve been the 70th birthday of Ch\u00e1vez, who died in 2013 of cancer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Ch\u00e1vez said she agreed with the decision, which seeks to stir admiration for her father\u2019s legacy and give Maduro, his handpicked political heir, a possible boost in a tight race.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u201cSiempre mezclamos la familia con pol\u00edtica,\u201d said Ch\u00e1vez, who nonetheless plans to lay a wreath at her father\u2019s tomb in a hilltop army fort later Sunday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Medicine shortages a factor in Venezuelans&#8217; vote preference<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Judy Oropeza says when her sister died in 2019 she vowed never again to vote for the government that long employed her as a school teacher. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">It was the nadir of Venezuela\u2019s economic crisis and due to widespread shortages, Oropeza\u2019s sister couldn\u2019t find the medicine she needed to treat hypertension. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Oropeza was in Colombia trying to find work because her miserly wages weren\u2019t enough to feed her and her son. \u201cI came home to bury her practically,\u201d she said, holding back tears. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Today, sitting quietly on a bench in Caracas\u2019 iconic Plaza Bolivar, she acknowledges things have improved. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">But she abandoned the profession she loved to escape hunger and still has to watch every penny of her $160 month in salary in the private sector.\u201c There\u2019s peace now,\u201d she says as a street sweeper collects the fallen leaves from the marble floor. \u201cBut there\u2019s wounds that never heal. That\u2019s why I vote for change.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u2014Joshua Goodman<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Our machine is &#8216;<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">well-oiled&#8217;, says Maduro campaign chief<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Key to Maduro\u2019s chances Sunday is the strength of the ruling party\u2019s ability to mobilize its base.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">One strategy, known as 1 x 10, asks each Maduro supporter to recruit 10 of their friends and family members.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Asked Sunday about those efforts to boost turnout, Maduro campaign chief Jorge Rodr\u00edguez said \u201cour machine is well-oiled.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u2014Joshua Goodman<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Happy Birthday Hugo Ch\u00e1vez!<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Authorities set Sunday\u2019s election to coincide with what would have been the 70th birthday of the former president\u2014one last effort by the ruling socialist party to gain an edge in the hard-fought electoral battle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The former president and revered leftist firebrand died of cancer in 2013, leaving Maduro as his political heir.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">In the January 23 poor hillside neighborhood where a mausoleum holds Ch\u00e1vez\u2019s remains, supporters shared a cake celebrating the birthday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u2014Joshua Goodman<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Nearly all voting centers open across Venezuela<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The President of Venezuela\u2019s National Electoral Council Elvis Amoroso says that 95% of of voting centers across the country are open.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The council set up 30,026 voting machines for the election.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Amoroso said Sunday he and other electoral authorities had a \u201cclear conscience\u201d about the work they were carrying out.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">He said 100% of polling place workers were present at voting centers from the time they opened at 6 a.m.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u2014Jorge Rueda<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Voters look for change<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">In the working-class Petare neighborhood on the east side of Caracas, people lined up to vote hours before polls opened.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Judith Cantilla, a 52-year-old domestic worker said, \u201cIn the name of God, everything is going to turn out alright. Each person is going take their position and well, (it\u2019s time for) change for Venezuela.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">She said the people were tired and that change for Venezuela is for more jobs, security, medicine in hospitals and better pay for teachers and doctors. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Elsewhere, Liana Ibarra, a manicurist in greater Caracas, got in line at 3 a.m. Sunday and found at least 150 people ahead of her.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The 35-year-old Ibarra said her aunt wrote to her from the U.S. at 2 a.m. to see if she was already in line. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">With her backpack next to her loaded with water, coffee and cassava snacks, Ibarra said there used to be a lot of indifference toward elections, &#8220;but not anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Her mom\u2019s 11 siblings have all migrated. She has not followed them, she said, because her 5-year-old son has special needs. But if Gonz\u00e1lez does not win, she will ask her relatives to sponsor her and her son\u2019s application to migrate to the U.S. legally.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u201cWe can\u2019t take it anymore,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u2014Fabiola S\u00e1nchez and Regina Garc\u00eda Cano<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Party representatives blocked from observing at voting center<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">At least eight party representatives authorized by the National Electoral Council to provide oversight at the country\u2019s largest voting center in the capital Caracas were being denied access more than an hour after polls were supposed to open.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Police officers linked arms around the door as the representatives showed their printed certificates that should give them access.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Marisol Contreras, 58, chief party representative for the Unitary Platform, said she arrived at 4 a.m. and was told she couldn\u2019t go in to the elementary school.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">People affiliated with the government stood at the door and indicated to them that all the necessary personnel were already inside.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Marlyn Hernandez, the voting center coordinator, said she didn&#8217;t know why the authorized representatives were not being allowed in to the school where more than 11,000 people are registered to vote. The center opened 90 minutes late.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Maduro says he will respect the announced results<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Incumbent President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro says he will recognize the result of the presidential election and urged other candidates to publicly declare the same.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Maduro said after voting Sunday that \u201cno one is going to create chaos in Venezuela.\u201d He said \u201cI recognize and will recognize the electoral referee, the official announcements&#8221; and that he would make sure the result is recognized.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">He called on the other nine candidates \u201cto respect, to make respected and to declare publicly that they will respect the official announcement\u201d of the winner.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Blinken calls for free and fair election in Venezuela<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">TOKYO, Japan \u2014 U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Venezuelans deserve an election \u201cthat genuinely reflects their will, free from manipulation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo Sunday, Blinken said the U.S. will not prejudice the election&#8217;s outcome and that the international community will be \u201cwatching closely\u201d while urging all parties to \u201chonor their commitments and respect democratic process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Blinken said despite facing severe repression, Venezuelans are showing \u201cenormous enthusiasm\u201d for the election.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">He said the U.S. and the international community have championed the Barbados electoral roadmap agreement to restore political freedoms in Venezuela,&#8221; even though Maduro and his representatives s have fallen short on many of those commitments.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Opposition candidate taunted at voting center<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Opposition supporters greeted presidential candidate Daniel Ceballos with shouts of \u201cGet out! Get out! Get out! Traitor!\u201d as he arrived to vote at a school in downtown Caracas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Ceballos was a leader of anti-Maduro protests in 2014 calling for the president\u2019s resignation less than a year after his election. He was imprisoned for his actions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Ceballos lost some of his edge after he emerged from jail years later. Most recently, he surprised friend and foe alike by registering to run against Maduro with a rhetoric critical of the main opposition coalition which considers him a sell-out and a patsy for Maduro\u2019s efforts to stay in power.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u2014Joshua Goodman<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Some voters still sticking with Maduro<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Clarisa Machado voted for Maduro in the working-class Caracas neighborhood of Petare.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The 74-year-old sociologist felt confident that the experience the government gained over years of crisis would make it better able to deal with difficult situations still to come, as well as improve Venezuelans&#8217; standard of living.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u201cWe Venezuelans, when they knock us down, we get back up and that serves as experience to not fall down again,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u2014Jorge Rueda<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.<\/p>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.clickorlando.com\/news\/world\/2024\/07\/28\/the-latest-venezuela-chooses-between-another-presidential-term-for-maduro-or-a-big-change\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Venezuelans are voting in a presidential election whose outcome will either lead to a seismic shift in politics or extend by six more years the policies that caused the world\u2019s&hellip;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10769,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1481,2000,1763,1484],"class_list":["post-10768","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-elections","tag-maria-corina-machado","tag-nicolas-maduro","tag-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10768","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10768"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10768\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10770,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10768\/revisions\/10770"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10769"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10768"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}