Venezuela: Electoral Council Meets with Carter Center Observers

A few days before the November 21 regional elections, the Venezuelan National Electoral Council (CNE) and representatives of The Carter Center, a U.S. organization that participates as observers, held a meeting.

"At this moment, we are meeting with representatives of the Carter Center, Andrea Nelli, Salvador Romero and Mercê Castells," explained the CNE's chief rector, Tania D'Amelio, in a message on her Twitter account.

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Last October, the CNE and the U.S. Carter Center signed a memorandum of understanding to guarantee the impartiality and objectivity of the observers' mission that this organization will deploy in the electoral process.

The highest electoral authority in Venezuela committed to guaranteeing the observation mission freedom of access to its facilities, to the subordinate electoral bodies and all information on the electoral process. After the elections, the Carter Center mission will report to the CNE.

The Carter Center is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that has promoted improvements in people's lives in more than 80 countries, through conflict resolution, the promotion of democracy, human rights and economic opportunity.

"We are currently meeting with Carter Center representatives Andrea Nelli, Salvador Romero and Mercê Castells." 

This institution had not participated as an international observer in Venezuela's elections since 2006.

On November 13, the Venezuelan government denounced the neutralization of a terrorist group that intended to attack a CNE warehouse in Filas de Mariches, in the state of Miranda (north), where this electoral body guards the voting material and machines.

In this regard, the president of the CNE, Pedro Calzadilla, stated on November 14 that this frustrated sabotage attempt did not influence the operations for the elections.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced that he would request Spain to arrest opposition leader Leopoldo López, whom he accused of heading the terrorist group that intended to set fire to the CNE facilities to prevent the elections from taking place.