Venezuela's President Slams International Media for Under-Reporting Elections

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has criticized the international media for under-reporting the regional elections in the country.

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“I've been tuning into the BBC, CNN and others, and today's elections were completely ignored,” Maduro said during a news conference at the Presidential Palace in Caracas.

He also pointed out that 80 percent of the domestic media — press, TV and radio — are in private hands, and opposed to the Bolivarian government.

“(The opposition) have the support of all private television stations.”

Maduro highlighted that the electoral process has been completely peaceful so far, with not a single incident reported. 

"The people who went to the ballot boxes voted for the image, the prestige of Venezuelan democracy," he added. "We are demonstrating to the world that we are living in a democracy, in freedom.”

Maduro stressed that Venezuela had "the best and most reliable electoral system in Latin America," with an automatized and printed electoral process.

He also predicted a high turnout and encouraged people to vote “in order to strengthen the path of peace as a key element to moving forward with the great social works”

"May the guarimbas never come back again, with their violence, hitting and burning people,” he said. "I hope that the time of fraudulent elections in this country is over.”