Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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Venezuela Denies 'Manipulating' Voter Turnout Number

by VOA News

   Venezuela's election chief denies claims by a voting technology firm
   that voter turnout numbers for last Sunday's election on rewriting the
   constitution were "manipulated" by at least 1 million voters.

   The head of the National Election Council, Tibisay Lucena, calls the
   claim "irresponsible" and says Venezuela has the right to sue the firm.

   "This is an unprecedented opinion from a firm whose only role in the
   electoral process is to provide certain services and technical support
   that has no bearing on the results," she said.

   But the head of British firm Smartmatic, Antonio Mugica, said in London
   on Wednesday that there is no question in his mind that the numbers
   were inflated.

   "Based on the robustness of our system, we know, without any doubt,
   that the turnout of the recent election for a National Constituent
   Assembly was manipulated. We estimate the difference between the actual
   participation and the one announced by authorities was at least 1
   million."

   He did not say whether the tampering changed the results of the
   election.

   The government said more than 8 million people cast ballots Sunday. The
   opposition, which boycotted the vote, said the turnout was less than
   half that number. Reporters in Caracas said dozens of polling places
   were almost deserted.

   The president of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, Julio
   Borges, said Smartmatic's findings are "complete confirmation" of what
   the opposition and election analysts had suspected.

   Pre-election polls showed more than 70 percent of all Venezuelans
   opposed a body to change the constitution.

   The opposition contends the vote was rigged to pack the assembly with
   supporters of President Nicolas Maduro. Maduro's opponents are
   demanding early presidential elections. The next scheduled election is
   October 2018.

   Lawmakers request investigation

   Borges said lawmakers will ask the country's top prosecutor to
   investigate members of the National Election Council for potential
   crimes.

   Despite the controversy surrounding voter turnout and the final
   results, Maduro plans to swear in the 545 members of the assembly so
   they can get to work Thursday.

   Details on what might be included in a new constitution are unclear.
   Maduro has said it is the only way to pull Venezuela out of its severe
   economic crisis and stop the daily protests that have killed more than
   120 since April.

   But the opposition says its goal is to dissolve the
   opposition-controlled national assembly, fire anyone who disagrees with
   the government, and turn Venezuela into a socialist dictatorship.

   The United States, Canada, European Union, and nearly every Latin
   American nation have said they will not recognize the constituent
   assembly.

   The U.S. imposed sanctions against Maduro on Monday for what it called
   his "illegitimate" election of a body to rewrite the constitution. All
   of Maduro's assets in the United States are frozen and Americans are
   forbidden from doing any business with him.

   Maduro raged on television that he does not care.

   "They don't intimidate me. The threats and sanctions of the empire
   don't intimidate me for a moment. ... Bring on more sanctions, Donald
   Trump."

   'Collapse into dictatorship'

   U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday during a visit to
   Montenegro, "we've seen the completion of Venezuela's collapse into
   dictatorship. The United States calls on all who cherish freedom to
   condemn the Maduro regime for its abuse of power and its abuse of its
   own people."

   Pence reminded Maduro that he is "personally responsible" for the
   health and safety of opposition leaders Leopoldo Lopez and Antonio
   Ledezma, who were dragged out of their homes in the middle of the night
   earlier this week and taken to military prison.

   The Supreme Court accuses the two of breaking the terms of their house
   arrest for previous opposition activities and planning to flee the
   country. Lopez's lawyer denies the charges.

   The drop in global energy prices and political corruption have
   destroyed Venezuela's oil-rich economy. Gasoline, medicine and such
   basic staples as cooking oil, flour and sugar are scarce, and many
   Venezuelans cross into neighboring Colombia and Brazil to buy food.

   Maduro has blamed the country's woes on what he calls U.S. imperialism
   and its supporters inside Venezuela. He has warned against intervention
   by the Organization of American States, saying that would surely lead
   to civil war.