“We are witnessing a historic day. I want to congratulate the people of Venezuela who from eight o'clock this morning have poured into the polls to vote,” Nicolás Maduro, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela stated referring to the primaries of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV).
He added that “this is an inclusive model that has made this beyond exemplary, an inspiring process. We have opened the gates of history so that political power lies where it belongs, with the people.”
Maduro announced that participation in the PSUV primaries was double that of previous elections.
He noted that strong citizen participation in the vote represented the voice “of a people who love their homeland, prosperity, education, the missions, who are willing to defend the legacy of Chavez with their own lives.”
The President added, “Here is a Revolution that is renewing itself with the leadership of young people and women,” and concluded, “This is the revolutionary, socialist, true democracy (the people) want.”
The National Electoral Council (CNE) decided to extend the vote in nearly four thousand polling stations across the country until 20:00 local time on Sunday, in order to allow all those wishing to to cast their vote in these PSUV primaries.
The primaries will select 98 candidates who will stand in the elections to obtain one of the 167 seats in the National Assembly, to be held on December 6.
