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| Venezuela turnout '41.5%' after violent vote for constituent assembly | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Turnout in Venezuela's controversial election for a constituent assembly was 41.5%, the electoral commission says. | Turnout in Venezuela's controversial election for a constituent assembly was 41.5%, the electoral commission says. |
| Just over eight million people voted, commission president Tibisay Lucena told a news conference. | Just over eight million people voted, commission president Tibisay Lucena told a news conference. |
| Sunday's election was marred by violence, with widespread protests and at least 10 people killed. | |
| The opposition put the turnout at only 12%. It has refused to recognise the election and has called for further protests on Monday. | |
| President Nicolás Maduro hailed the election as the "biggest ever vote for the revolution". | |
| Venezuela's new constituent assembly will have powers to rewrite the constitution and override the opposition-controlled congress. | |
| Mr Maduro says it is the only way to restore peace after months of protests and political stalemate. But his critics describe it as a power grab. | |
| Despite the violence, Ms Lucena described the election as "a success" and the turnout as "extraordinary". | |
| Venezuela faces mounting international criticism over the new assembly and on Sunday the US said it was considering fresh sanctions targeting the oil industry there. It has already imposed sanctions on 13 members of Mr Maduro's government. | |
| The US State Department said it would take swift action against what it called the "architects of authoritarianism". | |
| US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, dismissed the vote as a "sham election" and a "step towards dictatorship". | |
| Venezuela has already been suspended from regional economic bloc Mercosur by fellow-members Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, following concern over human rights. | |
| It has said it will withdraw from the Organisation of American States (OAS) after members including the US, Canada and Mexico said they would not recognise the authority of the constituent assembly. | |
| Why did the election happen? |