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World / Americas

Polls open in Venezuela election boycotted by opposition

Published: 20 May 2018 - 01:11 pm | Last Updated: 03 Nov 2021 - 11:14 am
:Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro casts his vote at a polling station, during the presidential election in Caracas, Venezuela May 20, 2018. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

:Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro casts his vote at a polling station, during the presidential election in Caracas, Venezuela May 20, 2018. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

AFP

Caracas: Polling stations across Venezuela opened Sunday for a presidential election boycotted by the opposition in which President Nicolas Maduro is expected to be easily reelected.

Maduro, the political heir to the late leftist firebrand Hugo Chavez, is expected to defeat Henri Falcon, a former army officer who failed to gain the endorsement of the main opposition leaders, and evangelical candidate Javier Bertucci. 

Polls opened at 6 am (1000 GMT) and are scheduled to close at 6 pm (2200 GMT).