Pence Calls on Venezuela to Suspend May 20 Elections

Vice President Mike Pence called Monday on Venezuela to suspend its presidential election later this month because of corruption concerns.

The U.S. joins the European Union in calling on Venezuela to postpone the May 20 election until there are better assurances that it will be a free and fair democratic contest. President Nicolas Maduro is seeking a second six-year term, and opposition lawmakers have said security forces have physically threatened them and their supporters.

Pence made the statement when he addressed more than two dozen ambassadors in a speech at the Organization of American States.

Elections in Venezuela are traditionally held in December, but the country’s National Electoral Council scheduled the contest for spring – a move critics say aims to take advantage of divisions within the opposition party. The U.S. State Department has said not all political parties have agreed to the elections, limiting the ability of individuals to run.

The U.S. continues to weigh whether to ban imports of Venezuelan oil, which accounts for 95 percent of the country’s foreign-currency earnings. Venezuela, a founding member of OPEC, has the world’s largest proven reserves and is South America’s largest oil exporter. It is the third-largest source of U.S. imported oil.