VENEZUELA – More than 150 lawmakers from Latin America and the United States have signed a letter addressed to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

They urge him to allow international observers to monitor Venezuela’s legislative polls on 6 December. Venezuela has invited monitors from regional body Unasur but has rejected those from the Organization of American States (OAS). The lawmakers also called for the release of jailed opposition leaders. The letter to Mr. Maduro was signed by 157 lawmakers from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru and the United States. It says that “as citizens go to the polls, the presence of qualified international observers would permit all Venezuelans to have the highest degree of confidence in the integrity of the process and the electoral results”.(BBC)…[+]