Venezuela may ban main opposition parties from presidential vote

The decree by the Constituent Assembly - created in a controversial July vote boycotted by the opposition and widely condemned abroad - infuriated Venezuela's opposition and drew criticism from the United States.

By: Reuters | Caracas | Updated: December 21, 2017 10:26 am

Venezuela may ban main opposition parties from presidential vote

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro during a news conference in Caracas. (Source: REUTERS/File)

Venezuela’s pro-government legislative superbody ruled on Wednesday that parties who boycotted this month’s local elections had lost legitimacy, potentially eliminating the main opposition groups from the 2018 presidential race.

The decree by the Constituent Assembly – created in a controversial July vote boycotted by the opposition and widely condemned abroad – infuriated Venezuela’s opposition and drew criticism from the United States.