EU reports improvements, old tactics in Venezuela election

By REGINA GARCIA CANO
Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Monitors from the European Union say Venezuela’s regional elections last weekend happened under better conditions compared to the country’s elections in recent years but were marred by the use of public funds to benefit pro-government candidates. The monitors also cited as negatives the disqualification of opposition contenders and the death of a voter in a shooting near a polling station. The EU group of monitors observed Sunday’s Venezuela regional elections and its leader presented preliminary findings on Tuesday in the capital of Caracas. The 136 monitors from members of the European Union, Norway and Switzerland were deployed for the regional contests. Pro-government candidates won overwhelmingly.