Venezuelan presidential candidates hold final rallies before election

As Venezuela prepares to elect a new president on Sunday, incumbent President Nicolas Maduro and leading candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia have ended their campaigns.

The Venezuelan government and opposition ended the official campaign period for the presidential election with demonstrations of support that brought thousands of people to the streets of the capital Caracas.

President Nicolas Maduro, who is seeking a third term, appeared before his supporters on Thursday on a huge stage set up on one of the city’s main streets and brought together attendees with breaks for music and dancing that punctuated his speech.

Maduro told the crowd, some of whom were transported to Caracas on state buses, that his opponents were promoters of violence and described himself as a man who could bring peace.

“Which of the 10 candidates guarantees peace and stability?” Maduro asked the crowd.

Maduro warned last week that there would be a “bloodbath” if he lost, comments that drew criticism from Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Brazil’s electoral court and former Argentine President Alberto Fernandez said Wednesday they were resigning as election observers on Sunday.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro — Venezuelan President Maduro, who is seeking re-election for a third term, waves the Venezuelan national flag during the end of his political campaign in Caracas (Fausto Torrealba/Reuters)

Maduro’s supporters say he is successfully continuing the legacy of his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, and continues to be a defender of the poor.

“It will be good for us if he (Maduro) wins,” said civil servant Luisa Medina, 51. “This is the only government that has thought about us, the poor,” Medina said.

Running against Maduro are former diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, representing the resurgent opposition, and eight other candidates.

Urrutia and opposition party leader Maria Corina Machado gathered far fewer supporters at their final rally on Thursday — moving through the city standing on a flatbed attached to a truck until they reached a middle-class neighborhood in Caracas.

Gonzalez said he believed the country’s military would ensure the result of the vote was respected on Sunday.

Opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez gives a thumbs up during a rally to kick off his official presidential campaign — Opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez shows a thumbs up during an election campaign in Caracas (file: Ariana Cubillos/AP)

Tense choices

Venezuela’s military has long supported Maduro and Chávez, but the country’s defense minister, Gen. Vladimir Padrino, said the armed forces would respect the vote.

Gonzalez inherited the opposition mantle from Machado, who was banned from holding public office. Supporters have expressed concerns that Gonzalez could face a similar ban or other restrictions, but he said he was confident of a peaceful vote and a decisive victory on Sunday.

Maduro’s rule has led to an economic collapse in Venezuela, the migration of about a third of the population and a sharp deterioration in diplomatic relations, topped by sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union and others, which have paralyzed the country’s already struggling oil industry.

In April, the United States reimposed sanctions on Venezuelan oil, accusing Maduro of breaking agreements with the opposition aimed at ensuring democratic elections.

The White House on Thursday expressed concern over the threat of violence surrounding the election, warning Maduro that the vote must be fair and free from repression.

Polling stations will be open on Sunday from 6:00 a.m. (10:00 GMT) to 6:00 p.m. (22:00 GMT), and the results are expected to be announced on Sunday evening or in the coming days.