Internet snarl delays vote count in Venezuelan opposition’s primary to choose presidential candidate

By REGINA GARCIA CANO
Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelans have chosen the candidate they think can end the decade-long, crisis-ridden presidency of Nicolás Maduro. But they’ll have to wait to learn the results of a Sunday primary election that the country’s opposition organized independently despite government repression and other obstacles. It’s the first presidential primary held in Venezuela since 2012, and setting up the election required the groups that make up the deeply fractured opposition to work together. That was a feat onto itself. But voters had not learned any results several hours after polls started closing because of yet another internet-censorship obstacle thrown at the effort that the opposition planned since late last year.