Venezuelan Government to Convene Early Presidential Elections by the end of April

Venezuelan government, stuck in an economic crisis, will summon early presidential elections to which Nicholas Maduro, the head of state, will appear in an attempt to use favorable electoral dynamics and disagreements with the opposition.

"By April 30, Venezuela must have a presidential election," said a decree proposed by the second man in power, the deputy chairman of the Socialist Party, Diosdado Cabello, and unanimously approved by the Constituent Assembly, loyal to Maduro. Formally, the presidential election was scheduled for the end of 2018, but some experts thought the president's camp could be drawn earlier.

The change approved today was announced in a context of delicate talks with the opposition in an attempt to emerge from Venezuela's political and economic crisis, a day after the European Union passed sanctions against senior Venezuelan officials, including Cabello. This was precisely why this decision was made by the Deputy Chairman of the Socialist Party. "If the world wants to impose sanctions, we will organize elections." The imperialist and illegitimate forces launched a systematic campaign of hatred against Venezuela, "he told the Constituent Assembly. "We will have no problems, we have only one candidate to continue the revolution," added Cabello, while several hundred members of the assembly chanted "Nicholas, Nicholas!"