Demonstrators man a barricade after clashes broke out while the Constituent Assembly election was being carried out in Caracas, Venezuela, July 30, 2017. REUTERS/Christian Veron
The United States vowed “strong and swift actions against the architects of authoritarianism” on Sunday in response to what it called a flawed election in Venezuela of a constitutional super-body under leftist President Nicolas Maduro. “The United States stands by the people of Venezuela, and their constitutional representatives, in their quest to restore their country to a full and prosperous democracy,” the US State Department said in a statement.
“We will continue to take strong and swift actions against the architects of authoritarianism in Venezuela, including those who participate in the National Constituent Assembly as a result of today’s flawed election,” it said. The State Department condemned violence by Venezuelan authorities against protesters and urged governments in the region and around the world “to hold accountable those who undermine democracy, deny human rights, bear responsibility for violence and repression, or engage in corrupt practices.”
