WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — According to the State Department, Capriles is a prominent, democratically-elected member of Venezuela’s political opposition.
"The United States views with grave concern the Venezuelan government’s actions to bar Miranda State Governor Henrique Capriles — a prominent, democratically-elected member of Venezuela’s political opposition," the release stated on Monday. "The freedom of assembly is a universal human right, which the Venezuelan authorities must respect."
The State Department called on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to reassess banning Capriles from the political world and allow people to exercise their basic rights such as the "right to elect their representatives in free and fair elections."
Caracas has seen a series of protests in recent days after the country’s Supreme Court attempted to take on the functions of the country's National Assembly, which has been controlled by the opposition.
