US denounces vote as illegitimate

The United States denounced the presidential elections in Venezuela Sunday as illegitimate, rejecting President Nicolas Maduro's bid for a new mandate amid the worst crisis in the country's history. "Venezuela's so-called elections today are not legitimate," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said on Twitter.
"The United States stands with democratic nations around the world in support of the Venezuelan people and their sovereign right to elect their representatives through free and fair elections." Washington had called on Maduro to cancel the elections. On Friday, the US Treasury Department slapped sanctions on Socialist Party boss Diosdado Cabello, Maduro's number two, accusing him of working with other sanctioned individuals to move drugs through Venezuela.