Venezuela Opposition Leader Announces His Party's Election Bid

Opposition lawmaker Henry Ramos Allup on Wednesday announced that his Democratic Action party will participate in future local, regional and presidential elections, defying right-wing calls to boycott them.

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Despite criticizing the recent elections of the National Constituent Assembly, ANC, and calling it a "fraud," he said his party would seek public offices.

"If we do not sign up for governor elections, Chavismo would win 23 governorships," Ramos Allup said during an interview. "And in that same line, we would also give away 335 municipalities." 

According to Ramos Allup, the opposition must participate in the elections because "they have always demanded respect for voting rights" during violent street protests. 

"There are people who gave their lives asking for an electoral calendar and elections. Those people died asking to participate and we have never called for a protest against voting," Ramos Allup said.

Some factions of the opposition have not only refused to participate in the ANC, but have also called for a boycott on all elections.

Meanwhile, the National Electoral Council criticized opposition calls to continue violent protests and blockades on the streets to impede people from voting. In fact, some sides of the opposition and independent candidates did participate in the July 30 elections.

More than a hundred people have been killed since anti-government demonstrations began in April.