As Venezuela votes, Israel calls for ‘free, fair and credible elections’

As the Venezuelan gubernatorial elections take place today, Israel’s Foreign Ministry is calling for “free, fair and credible elections with independent domestic and international observation.”

“Israel calls on the Venezuelan government to protect the ability of its citizens to exercise their constitutional rights to vote and to ensure that the regional elections are conducted in a free, timely, and transparent manner that respects the prerogative of the Venezuelan people to shape the course of their country.” according to an MFA statement.

“Israel urges the Venezuelan government to allow the Venezuelan opposition to freely compete for these positions,” the statement adds.

The election could tilt a majority of the country’ 23 governorships back into opposition control for the first time in nearly two decades of socialist party rule — though the government says the newly elected governors will be subordinate to a pro-government assembly.

The election is being watched closely as an indicator of how much support President Nicolas Maduro and the socialist movement founded by his predecessor, the late Hugo Chavez, maintain amid soaring inflation and crippling food and medical shortages that continue to wreak havoc in Venezuelans’ daily lives.