Venezuela's Maduro chosen as ruling party’s candidate for upcoming elections

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has been selected as the candidate of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) in upcoming elections, a party official said Monday.

Maduro, 61, will seek a third term in the July 28 elections, said Diosdado Cabello, adding more than 4.2 million party members chose Maduro in the primary election they held within the party.

Although Maduro has not made any announcement himself, he has been organizing rallies since the election date was finalized.

The opposition bloc has still not decided on a candidate.

Maduro has been in power since 2013 and was re-elected in 2018 in polls widely criticized by the international community as being neither free nor fair.