US threatens sanctions after 'sham' Venezuela vote

The United States threatened new sanctions against the Venezuelan regimetoday, following an opposition-boycotted election that Washington denounced as a "sham" and "illegitimate."
US Vice President Mike Pence said the election was "a sham -- neither free nor fair. The illegitimate result of this fake process is a further blow to the proud democratic tradition of Venezuela."
But the vote was marred by a 52 per cent abstention rate -- a historic high -- following a boycott called by the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) opposition coalition, which slammed the ballot as a "farce."