Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro gestures as he speaks during the event launching the new Venezuelan cryptocurrency “petro” in Caracas, Venezuela February 20, 2018. REUTERS/Marco Bello
February 21, 2018
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s opposition coalition said on Wednesday it would not be able to participate in a “fraudulent, illegitimate” presidential election on April 22 due to unfair conditions created by President Nicolas Maduro’s government.
The decision leaves Maduro, 55, on track as favorite for re-election but is likely to fuel widespread international condemnation of democratic shortcomings in the socialist-ruled OPEC nation.
(Reporting by Corina Pons and Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Angus Berwick and Bill Trott)
