Venezuela slams US attempts to 'delegitimize' presidential elections

CARACAS -- Venezuela categorically rejected the US attempts to "discount and delegitimize" the results of the upcoming presidential elections, the foreign ministry said on Thursday.

Citing a US statement released Wednesday, the ministry slammed the United States for "trying to discount and delegitimize the next elections."

The response came after the US State Department said it was "deeply concerned" that the Venezuelan National Electoral Council aimed to restrict opposition candidates from registering to participate in the July 28 elections.

Washington, the ministry said, intends to "minimize" the participation of 37 political groups that have backed the registration of 13 presidential candidates.

The constitutional requirements of the electoral process have been fulfilled, along "with each point of the agreement signed between the legitimate government of Venezuela and the self-proclaimed Unitary Platform," as the opposition alliance is called.

Venezuela "is proud of its electoral system," and committed to "maintaining peace, economic growth and political stability," the ministry said.