Venezuela bans third opposition politician from holding office

Former Venezuelan state Governor Pablo Perez said on Saturday said he had been barred from taking public office for 10 years, the third ban on an opposition politician in the last week. The comptroller's office this week also disqualified former legislator Maria Corina Machado and ex-mayor Vicencio Scarano, both candidates in the Dec. 6 parliamentary election, from taking office in the next 12 months. Critics says President Nicolas Maduro is seeking to clamp down on leading opposition leaders and discourage voters ahead of an election polls forecast his party will lose. More…