The head of the Organization of American States harshly criticized Venezuela's government, accusing it of not guaranteeing a fair contest ahead of next month's parliamentary elections.
OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro said in a letter released Tuesday that the banning or jailing of several candidates and the opposition's limited access to mass media are tilting the campaign in favour of pro-government candidates.
His 18-page letter was addressed to the head of Venezuela's National Electoral Council and was posted on the Washington-based regional group's website.
Almagro reiterated that the OAS desires to serve as an observer during the Dec. 6 elections as a guarantee of the credibility of the results in the eyes of Venezuelans and the international community. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has rejected the offer, calling it an attempt to undermine his socialist system.
This content appears as provided to The Globe by the originating wire service. It has not been edited by Globe staff.