US says Venezuelan elections weren’t free or fair

Washington is refusing to recognize the outcome of Venezuela’s gubernatorial elections, accusing the “regime” of President Nicolas Maduro of acting like an “authoritarian dictatorship.”

“We condemn the lack of free and fair elections yesterday in Venezuela. The voice of the Venezuelan people was not heard,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement on Monday, adding that the US will “bring the full weight of American economic and diplomatic power to bear in support of the Venezuelan people as they seek to restore their democracy.”

Though the opposition expected to win the Sunday vote, the government swept 17 out of 23 state governorships.