Venezuela holds landmark vote as it seeks to end crisis — World — The Guardian Nigeria Newspaper – Nigeria and World News

Venezuela holds landmark vote as it seeks to end crisis — World — The Guardian Nigeria Newspaper – Nigeria and World News

Venezuelans vote on Sunday in regional elections seen as a key test for both President Nicolas Maduro and the opposition alike after months of street protests that failed to unseat him.

The opposition, unable to sustain the protests in which 125 people were killed between April and July, is seeking a big turnout which experts say could give them victory in the vast majority of Venezuela’s 23 states in the vote to elect governors.

International powers accuse Maduro of dismantling democracy by taking over state institutions in the wake of an economic collapse cause by a fall in the price of oil, its sole significant source of revenue.