Violence marked the elections for Venezuela's Constituent Assembly wanted by Nicolas Maduro. At least 13 people have been killed in the last 24 hours and the protest has spread throughout the country with moments of real urban warfare. The opposition speaks of more than 80% abstention and the other countries announce that they will not recognize the result. While the government has continued to ensure that "calm reigns" in the country and, despite the low turnout, has defined the elections as a "historic success" for Chavismo.
An appeal to the international community was launched by the leader of the opposition, Leopoldo Lopez, who asks not to recognize the vote and denounces the "brutal repression of the protest". While the US, according to the Wall Street Journal, is evaluating the imposition of sanctions against Venezuela's oil industry that could have a devastating impact on the country's economy.
Meanwhile, a candidate for the Venezuelan Constituent Assembly was killed in his home in Ciudad Bolivar, capital of the state of Bolivar, in the southeast of the country. The news, released by the local media, is confirmed by the Attorney General, who identified the victim as José Felix Pineda (39 years old), specifying that "a group of people broke into his house" and "killed him with blows of firearm". This brings the death toll to 113 since the beginning of the protests last April.
Two more people died during demonstrations against elections for the Constituent Assembly in the state of Tachira, in western Venezuela. This was announced by local sources on Twitter, who identified the new victims as Luis Ortiz (15 years old) and Alberto Rosales (53). Both were shot and killed during an anti-government protest in Tucapé, a small town in the municipality of Cardenas.
There is also the condemnation of the EU for "the excessive and disproportionate use of force by the security forces" and added in the note that "Venezuela has legitimate and democratically elected institutions that have the task of working together to find a solution to the current crisis. A Constituent Assembly, elected in dubious and often violent circumstances, cannot be part of the solution”.
The European Union has serious doubts about recognizing the validity of the vote.
