Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro prohibited three opposition parties that boycotted the Dec. 10 mayoral polls from participating in the presidential elections in 2018, a move that was condemned by the U.S., BBC News reported Dec. 11.
Maduro said the Justice First, Popular Will and Democratic Action parties will disappear from the political map after their leaders did not take part in the mayoral election saying the electoral system was biased.
Only those parties that participated in the local election would be allowed to run for the presidency, according to Maduro. He said his party won more than 300 of the 335 mayoral posts that were up for election.
The U.S. State Department denounced the ban, saying the presidential election will be illegitimate without the free participation of candidates and parties.
Department spokesperson Heather Nauert urged the Venezuelan government, which will meet with the opposition Dec. 15 to discuss the presidential vote's timeline and processes, to conduct "free, fair, transparent, and internationally observed presidential elections."
