America has called for voter access and transparent counting

“Today is essential […] The Venezuelan people must be allowed full access to the referendum,” a U.S. government official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

“The United States does not prejudge the results of these elections,” he said, but it is “important” that they “reflect the true voice of the electorate, free from selection and coercion.”

Venezuelans must “vote safely and count their votes accurately and transparently in the presence of witnesses in accordance with Venezuelan law,” reiterated another senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The U.S. government is “willing to work with the winner of these elections as long as there is a transparent and fair election process verified by national and international observers,” the first official said.

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino on Friday condemned Venezuelan authorities for blocking a plane carrying former Latin American rulers to act as observers.

A second official declared that Washington should “reconsider this decision and allow for a greater international presence, especially of the region’s distinguished former presidents.”