Venezuelan opposition coalition says it was blocked from registering its presidential candidate

By JORGE RUEDA
Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s main opposition coalition says that electoral authorities didn’t let the group register its presidential candidate as the deadline passed, in what it calls the latest blow to democracy in the South American country. Omar Barboza, a representative of the U.S.-backed Unitary Platform coalition, says that candidate Corina Yoris could not be registered by the midnight Monday deadline to be eligible for the July 28 election. He calls that a violation of the right of Venezuelans who want to vote for change.  Latin American governments — including Guatemala, Brazil and Colombia — voiced concerns about the blocking of candidates, with Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo accusing Venezuela of “consolidating an anti-democratic system.” Venezuela has pushed back against the criticism