Venezuela Opposition Leader Shot Dead Ahead of Elections – Democratic Party

A Venezuelan opposition leader who served as regional secretary of the Democratic Action (Acción Democrática, or AD) political party was killed on Wednesday night at a campaign rally, the AD head said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Venezuela will hold National Assembly elections on December 6.

"Assassinated at 7:30pm Luis Manuel Díaz sec gen [Secretary General] AD Altagracia de Orituco [located in Guarico state]," AD National Secretary General Henry Ramos Allup said via Twitter, adding that the regional leader was shot dead by armed gangs from a vehicle.

Asesinado 7:30pm Luis Manuel Díaz sec gen AD Altagracia de Orituco por disparo arma de fuego hecho por bandas armadas psuv desde vehículo.

— Henry Ramos Allup (@hramosallup) November 26, 2015

​Angel Rodriguez, one of the leaders of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) told Sputnik earlier in October that Washington "intensified pressure and attacks" on Caracas ahead of the electoral process.

Henry Ramos Allup suggested on Twitter that the assassination of his party’s regional leader was organized by PSUV.

Opinion polls conducted last month placed the opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) coalition, of which AD is a member, ahead of PSUV by a margin of 40 percent.

AD won 29 out of 165 National Assembly seats in the 2000 election. In 2005, it staged an electoral boycott and did not win any seats.