WASHINGTON—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and a former Chairman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, today made the following statement:

“The presidential election taking place in Venezuela this Sunday is far from legitimate. President Maduro has stacked the decks against the opposition, barring most opposition candidates from participating and creating a completely unlevel playing field. He is nothing short of a dictator who is once again attempting to legitimize his grip on power.  I continue to stand with the Venezuelan people in both their democratic struggle and their difficult, daily effort to access much-needed food and medicine.

“At the same time, I strongly believe that elections are among the few paths out of dictatorships. Elections matter and the voices of Venezuela’s struggling citizens deserve to be heard.” 

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