US, Latin lawmakers urge Venezuela to allow election observers

More than 150 U.S. and Latin American lawmakers sent a letter to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Wednesday, urging him to let international observers monitor the country’s crucial Dec. 6 legislative elections. The letter expressed concern that several opposition candidates have been barred from participating and called for the immediate release of jailed opposition and student leaders. “This situation contributes to a public perception that the current electoral climate in the country is defined by political bias and an absence of full electoral safeguards,” the letter said. The elections are being held as the socialist government faces the prospect of losing control over the National Assembly for the first time since Maduro’s predecessor, the late Hugo Chávez, came to power. More…